Divine Power
by Pinkflame818
Summary: HawkMoth is growing stronger, and it is obvious that Ladybug and Chat Noir are not strong enough to save the world with their current powers. Their only hope is to gain divine power, which means that the two must join as one to create a child who will have the power to stop all evil. With all the secrets and struggles, will the two be able to take on the responsibility?
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Their battles with the akumas had never been easy, but it was obvious to Ladybug and Chat Noir that HawkMoth was gaining strength. Fights that usually took less than an hour were now dominating most of the day. The heroes found themselves using their most special powers twice, if not three or four times, every battle. It appeared that with every passing day, HawkMoth found ways to squeeze more and more power out of his stolen Kwami. To beat him, Ladybug and Cat Noir must go through their biggest trial yet, one that will test all aspects of their resolve.

Chapter 1

"Watch out, Ladybug!" Chat Noir yelled. His heart rate spiked as he watched another deadly star almost graze her neck. Ladybug deftly rolled to the side. Then, she shot her yo-yo at the assailant, Telescoptic. The akuma swung his scope at it, effectively batting it back towards its origin. Ladybug growled in frustration, but the villain just laughed. This battle had been going on for upwards of three hours, and the heroes were getting tired.

They chased Telescoptic on the rooftops of Paris, attempting in vain to stop him from draining all the light from the city. Civilians screamed as the power went out and darkness swept over the streets like a curtain.

"You people have no appreciation for the beauty of the dark! Your light pollution is keeping you from seeing the natural phenomena of the night. When you no longer have your technology to rely on, you'll have no choice but to look to the night sky for help!" His cackle filled the darkening air as Ladybug tried to strike him from behind. Chat used his pole to deflect the flying stars and distract the akuma, but he could only take so much more. He pounced on the villain's back in attempt to distract the man, but Telescoptic was unfazed by Chat and turned around swiftly to give Ladybug a hard blow to the side with his extended telescope.

"Your tricks are getting old, Bug. They're almost as predictable as the stars!" he remarked. Chat growled at the taunt and lunged for the man, aiming his glowing and destructive claw for the telescope. Telescoptic, however, planned for this attack and sent a fatal star right into Chat Noir's chest.

"Chat, no!" Ladybug screamed in terror. Chat's limp form fell to the ground. Anger fueled Ladybug's eyes as she screamed for her Lucky Charm. A mirror appeared into her hands, and she ran straight at Telescoptic without fear. He shot a star from his scope, but she used the mirror to deflect it right back, and the scope shattered.

"No!" Telescoptic screamed. His dark-as-night suit shimmered away to reveal the clothes of a conservatory manager. He fell to the ground in a confused exhaustion, but Ladybug was too focused on de-evilizing the akuma and revitalizing Paris. As soon as her duties were over, she ran over to Chat Noir's unconscious body.

"Chat… Chat! Wake up!" She cried, gently shaking his shoulders. When no response came, Ladybug buried her face into his chest. "Why do you always insist on being the martyr, Chat?" A few tears escaped her eyes, and she almost missed the telling beep from her miraculous earrings. Reluctantly, she left Chat to enter the stairway that was located on top of the roof they were on. She let out a breath as she returned into her regular state, and Tikki flew out to meet her.

"Marinette! What are you going to do about Chat?" the Kwami asked.

"I don't know, Tikki, but I'm really scared. Who would know how… Hey, wait! Tikki, do you remember the healer who saved your life?"

"Master Fu? He should be able to help!" Tikki exclaimed. Without another word, Marinette raced back onto the roof to find Chat still lying unconscious. Even though she didn't have her Ladybug strength, her adrenaline was enough to allow her to lift the boy's body. She struggled under his weight. Her knees threatened to give out, but Marinette was intent on saving her partner's life and managed to push through the pain. Luckily, Master Fu's shop was just a block away. Civilians on the sidewalk gasped as she ran by, shocked to see a normal girl holding their unconscious superhero. However, Marinette was too blinded by her fear to notice.

Little did she know, Chat Noir was drifting in and out of consciousness the entire time. He was weak, but he was slowly gaining the awareness of his surroundings and control over his limbs. Chat took a slow, steady breath. Immediately, his heightened senses were overrun by the scent of freshly baked cookies and a hint of lavender. He felt a pair of small arms around his body, and he could tell he was moving fast.

' _Where am I?'_ Chat wondered. He opened his eyes ever-so-slightly and glanced up at the female face above him. His savior was no stranger. It was Marinette, the girl who sat behind him in class. He had few interactions with her when he was in her civilian form, since she tended to avoid him at school. As Chat, however, he had the pleasure of working with her when defeating the Evillustrator. While he could barely get a word out of her when he was Adrien, Chat was able to talk and banter with her like old friends. He was intrigued by the small girl ever since that night with the Evillustrator, and his curiosity was heightened by the fact that she was now carrying him through the streets of Paris. But just as he was gathering up his strength to speak to her, Chat blacked out again.

Marinette raced into Master Fu's shop, panting heavily from the physical exertion that her human body was not used to.

"Help!" Marinette cried. "Master Fu! Help me, it's an emergency!"

Master Fu raced as fast as his old body allowed and gasped when he saw the human Ladybug holding a limp Chat Noir. He took Chat's body from the girl and placed him on a mat, immediately getting to work. Wayzz flew behind him, assessing the situation and checking Chat's vitals. After a few minutes of deliberation, Master Fu sighed.

"It's just as I thought," he muttered. He pulled some old bottles from the shelf on the wall and began mixing powders together. Fu was extremely concentrated on the job, but Marinette was only getting more and more nervous.

"Is he going to be okay?" Marinette questioned warily. She chewed on her bottom lip mindlessly, preparing her heart for the worst.

"He will be okay this time. But I cannot guarantee his safety in your future battles. Please, I would like to speak to you for a moment, it cannot wait." Marinette nodded. Wayzz took over the healing, and Master Fu led Marinette to the kitchenette in the back of his shop. Then, he pulled a cushion out for her to sit on. He brewed some tea and poured it out, handing the still-trembling girl a cup. She took it gratefully and sipped, letting the hot liquid soothe some of her nerves. After a minute, Master Fu spoke.

"Long ago, the miraculous were created using magic to fight the evils that humans brought to the world. The Kwamis connected with very special people who were chosen to keep the humans from destroying themselves. In the hands of these guardians, the Kwamis thrived. However, it seems as if Nooroo's miraculous has fallen into the hands of an evil human. She is naturally good, but all Kwamis were designed to live at the mercy of their humans. Since the Kwamis are magical, this rule was designed to keep their powers in check. Therefore, Nooroo is forced to side with evil if that is what her master wants," Master Fu explained. "When she was first stolen, I chose you and Chat Noir to fight HawkMoth because I saw great potential in you two. Unfortunately, miraculous users were not designed to fight other miraculouses. I had hoped that you two would be enough, but it looks like we need to find another solution."

"What other solutions do we have? You told me that the ladybug and cat miraculous were the strongest. So, if we cannot beat HawkMoth, who can?" Marinette asked with a raised voice. Her worries were starting to chew away at her resolve, but Master Fu seemed unaffected and calm.

"There is no simple answer, I'm afraid. But there is an old prophecy that tells of power beyond even your own. Power strong enough to beat any other, good or evil."

"Well, how do we get that power?" At this point, Marinette was willing to try anything to end their war against HawkMoth. Master Fu, on the other hand, was reluctant. He knew that his solution would change this poor girl's life forever, and he did not want to force her into this situation. He also knew that it was their only chance at beating the ever-growing evil, so he gave in to his hesitancy and told her.

"You, Ladybug, have the power of creation. Chat Noir has the power of destruction. Both are very strong, but they lie on very opposite ends of the spectrum. To achieve true power, one must have balance. Since you can only wield one miraculous, neither you nor Chat will ever be able to attain what legends call 'divine power'."

"Divine power? What is that?"

"When the powers of creation and destruction combine, the power to manipulate the entire world is created."

"Holy shit," Marinette exclaimed, struggling to imagine a power that strong. "How do we combine our powers?"

"The old legend tells a time after the miraculous' were created, but before the heroes had the chance to restore peace. Evil rampaged through the world and the people were overrun with greed, pride, envy, gluttony, lust, sloth, and wrath. The guardians with the powers of creation and destruction decided to combine and with their fused form they created a miraculous to help them achieve divine power."

"Hold up, you want me to _fuse_ with Chat Noir?!" Marinette screamed.

"Patience, child. That is what the text reads, but I know that there is no way for magic to fuse to humans together, even if they are guardians."

"So, what does it mean, then?"

"I believe that the two had a child, and that child _was_ the miraculous."

Marinette choked on her tea.

"HOLD UP!" she yelled, jumping from her seat. Master Fu gave her a glare, but nothing could calm Marinette down. "Are you saying that the _only way_ to beat HawkMoth is to have a baby with Chat Noir?! How does that even make sense"

"HawkMoth is gaining power by the minute. I believe that within a year, he will have enough power to defeat all the miraculous guardians, including yourselves. This is our only chance to stop him before he stops us."

"Master Fu, all due respect, but I am an eighteen year old girl! I cannot have a baby! I mean, I technically could, but I don't _want_ to! I want to be a fashion designer, and I want to go to university!" Marinette whined.

"Well, you won't get the chance to do those things if HawkMoth takes over, child."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no! This cannot be happening!"

Master Fu sighed. "Believe me, I would not have even mentioned this to you if I thought that there was any other way to stop this. The last thing I ever wanted to do when I chose you to be Ladybug was to ruin your life like this. However, when you accepted the miraculous, you also accepted the responsibility of every other miraculous holder before you. It is your duty to protect humanity, Marinette."

"How am I going to explain this to my parents? How will I deal with school? How will I take care of a child, Master Fu?" Marinette put her head in her hands and started to cry. The weight of the world was falling onto her shoulders, and she wasn't sure she was strong enough to hold it.

"There will be great difficulties, I know, but I will help you through them as best as I can. As for the child, while I believe that you are fully capable of raising it successfully, I would not blame you for not wanting to be a mother so young. If you so choose, after HawkMoth has been defeated you can give the child to me, and I will raise it myself."

"No offense, Master, but aren't you a little old to be able to raise a child to its adulthood?"

"I am much older than I appear, Marinette. My miraculous gives me the power of extreme longevity, and I assure you that I will probably outlive the child as it is."

While Marinette found this idea to be preposterous, she had more glaring issues on her mind. She put her head back into her hands and let her mind go crazy with all her anxiety. For a few minutes, Master Fu let her take in all of the information. Then, he got up.

"I believe Chat should be awake by now, so I will go explain the situation to him," Master Fu said, excusing himself from the table.

"Wait!" Marinette yelled. "Let me explain it to him."

"Why?"

"Well, um…" she started, afraid that he would think that her reason was stupid. "I don't want Chat Noir to know my true identity." This was only the partial truth. Really, Marinette was afraid of their friendly dynamic changing when they had a child together. She did not love Chat Noir in that way, she still longed for her childhood crush, Adrien. Having a baby with Chat Noir would link them together in a romantic way for life, and she wasn't sure she was ready for that commitment. Also, she did not want him to be forced to father a baby.

"Yes, I guess anonymity is still important for the safety of you both. However, you will still be pregnant as Ladybug and your human form. I think it would be obvious to him after some time," Master Fu stated. Marinette sighed. She hadn't pondered this thought yet.

"Then I won't let him know that we're trying to create a child. I'll tell him that we need to combine our powers, but I won't mention the pregnancy. I know he has some feelings for me, so I don't think it will take too much convincing. I just hate the idea of playing with his emotions like this," Marinette said, shaking her head.

"Well, if that is how you wish to approach this, we have a few things to discuss. I have a fertility pill that will almost guarantee the conception of a child. All you must do is swallow one before the conception occurs. Are you currently on any contraceptives?"

Marinette groaned. She _so_ did not want to be having this conversation with her mentor.

"No, I'm not."

"Well, let me know after the child has been conceived. Using any of the tests from the drugstore should let you know if it worked or not. I'm not sure if I agree with your decision to keep Noir in the dark, but I'm already asking so much of you. If you believe that it is necessary, then I am in no place to argue."

"Thank you, Master Fu. Now, if Chat Noir is awake, I have some explaining to do."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Marinette stepped into a nearby closet, so that she could get her act together away from Master Fu and Chat Noir. She created some space for herself among the hangers, opened her bag, and let Tikki fly out.

"Oh my, Marinette, this is crazy!" the Kwami cried, giving Marinette the biggest hug she could manage with her tiny body.

"You're telling me. This is the last thing I want, Tikki," she sobbed, letting her tears flow. The Kwami didn't say a word, since she understood that there was nothing she could do or say to make any difference. Marinette took down her defenses and let all her emotions swirl around in her head. She felt a lot of different things, but fear stood out among the rest. How could this be happening to her? Was it all a dream? She slumped to the floor of the closet, bringing a few spare coats down with her by accident. For the longest time, Marinette just sat there and cried. There was no way she could confront Chat Noir while she didn't have her own feelings under control. When her tears were finally dry, she stood up and took a deep breath.

"Tikki, spots on. There is no sense in delaying the inevitable, so let's get this over with." Tikki obliged, and Marinette was replaced by Ladybug. She stepped out into the hall and walked softly back to the cot where Chat Noir had been. To her relief, she found him sitting up and drinking water, and he looked perfectly healthy. Ladybug was so relieved to see him conscious that she forgot about her worries and practically attacked Chat with a hug.

"Oofh! Ladybug!" he laughed, returning the strong embrace. While he knew it was a friendly hug, he savored the feeling of her in his arms and stroked her dark hair. He was glad to see her, but he was also confused. Hadn't Marinette been the one to save him? Where did she go? Chat's questions dissipated into the back of his mind as he relished the proximity to Ladybug.

"This is certainly new! If almost dying gets me this much attention from you, I'll have to try it again sometime, m'lady," he said with a signature wink.

"Shut up, Kitty. I was worried about you."

"I love you too, Bugaboo." Ladybug rolled her eyes at his shameless attempts at flirting. However, she remembered that she needed to… ahem… _get with him…_ and her attitude changed.

"Let's get out of here, yeah?" she asked, standing up and extending out her hand to him.

"I thought you'd never ask," Chat smirked, gratefully accepting her hand.

' _Heaven help me,'_ Ladybug prayed, and the two of them went to a secluded spot underneath a bridge. Ladybug was on pins and needles the entire time. Would she be able to convince Chat to be with her in the most intimate way, without asking questions? Master Fu had given her the pill, but also a key card to a hotel. She refused to reveal her identity to him, so going to her house was out of the question. Everything was planned to a T, and everything was in place, but it all came down to Chat. How could she ask him to do this without breaking his heart?

Chat was extremely confused. Ladybug had never wanted to spend time with him when they weren't in battle or on patrol. He sensed some nervousness in her voice, and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her. However, he had no clue what was wrong. Her face remained stoic as she sat down on a large rock near the river. Chat sat down next to her and didn't let go of her hand.

"Chat, I have something I need to talk to you about," Ladybug said quietly. Chat, one who always would lighten the mood with a pun, knew that now was no time for a joke. He just wanted to know what was making his love so upset.

"You know you can tell me anything, Ladybug," he reassured her. He took both of her hands in his own.

"While you were out, unconscious I mean, Master Fu explained that HawkMoth is only going to get stronger. While we are also strong, miraculous holders were not designed to defeat other miraculous holders. Since he sides with evil, he is stronger. Master Fu said that the only way to beat him would be to … erm, combine our powers… in an… intimate way," Ladybug started, desperately trying not to lie.

"I'm not sure I follow you," Chat said, looking to her face for any explanation. Ladybug kept herself from meeting his gaze.

"I'm not totally sure how it works," she said, which was not entirely a lie," but it means that we have to…"

"We have to what?"

"We have to sleep. Together. Not like, actual sleep, no… that would be pointless, I mean..." Ladybug stuttered. Chat Noir leapt up from the rock in anger.

"Wait, pause. Ladybug, stop it! This isn't funny," he growled. Ladybug sighed.

"I wish I was kidding, believe me."

"Hold on, you're being serious? Why would that do anything to help us?"

"Master Fu said we need to combine our powers of creation and destruction by… having sex… and in time it will give us some sort of divine power to defeat HawkMoth." Ladybug was blushing profusely now.

"Wow, HawkMoth is getting me laid? He may be our sworn enemy, but I'll have to thank him for this one," Chat joked, and Ladybug gasped in shock.

"Chat! This is serious stuff!"

"I know, I know. Geez. Never in a million years would I have predicted this." He scratched the back of his head nervously and stared at the river. After a few seconds, he regained his composure and knelt in front of Ladybug, who was almost shaking with nerves.

"Ladybug, are you sure about this? I don't care what Fu says, if you're uncomfortable with this, we don't have to go through with it."

As much as Ladybug would have loved to take him up on that offer, she knew that she didn't have a choice. Watching Cat Noir almost die today was a real wake-up call. They would never defeat HawkMoth on their own.

"I'm sure."

Chat Noir knew that she was serious when she pulled out a key card to Chloe's family's hotel. He didn't want to be as excited as he was. He could tell how nervous Ladybug was, and he felt a little ashamed of himself. Unfortunately, his desires took over, and the southern region of his body was starting to feel some heat. Furthermore, he was excited to find out the identity of his masked lady. They clearly could not do-the-deed in their suits, and he had been dying to know who she really was ever since they met. For Ladybug's comfort, he kept his thoughts to himself as they traveled across the city. The two didn't share a word as they snuck in to the hotel through the door on the roof and found their room. A large, king-sized bed was prominent in the center of the room, and Chat could tell that Ladybug was doing her best to avoid looking at it. Suddenly, she went to the light switch and turned it off.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Chat exclaimed, and his night vision adjusted to the darkness.

"Our identities have to remain secret, remember?"

"You've got to be kidding me, Ladybug, we're about to have sex! You really expect us to do it completely in the dark?" he asked, unable to keep the slight whine out of his voice.

"That's exactly what I expect. Now, you transform back first. I know you'll use your night vision if I do."

Chat Noir groaned, but he did as she asked. In a few seconds, he was Adrien Agreste again, and he could only assume that Ladybug was her normal self. He was itching to run over to the light switch and turn it back on, but he didn't want to break her trust in a moment like this. He tried to listen for her movements, but there were none.

"My lady?" Adrien called. He found it strange to be using his Chat lines in his human form, but he didn't want to scare her.

"I'm here," Marinette said in a small voice. She had used the cloak of darkness to swallow the pill she had been given, and she gave a quick prayer that it would work. Then, she turned her attention to the boy in the room. She tried to imagine what Chat looked like as a human, but she could never get the image of his black cat ears and tail out of her mind. Without warning, warm arms enveloped Marinette's small body and held her close.

"It's going to be okay, Ladybug. I know this is weird, and scary, and I'm scared, too. But if at any point you want to stop, we will," Adrien promised.

"The same goes for you, okay?" Marinette stated, and Adrien was shocked. He had been so focused on comforting her that he never imagined that she would think to comfort him. It made his heart soar. However, there was no way in hell he would ever want this to end if Ladybug was okay with it.

"Thank you, m'lady." An awkward silence fell over the two after that, and Adrien felt a lot of nerves rush over him. He had never been with a girl before, and he wasn't sure what to expect from Ladybug. Would she just want to get it over with as soon as possible? Would this successfully combine their powers? Would she want to do it again? How long…

His thoughts were interrupted when Ladybug raised her lips to meet his. He had not seen that one coming! Immediately, Adrien melted into the kiss, running his hand through her medium-length hair. He let out all his pent-up passion into the kiss, deepening it when he got the chance. Her hands started playing with his hair, lingering on the spot where his cat ears normally were.

He ran one hand along the side of her waist, causing Marinette to shiver. Adrien was encouraged by the way she reacted, giving him the confidence to grab her by the waist and pull her closer. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck. The kiss went on like this for a while as the two found themselves to be more comfortable with each other. Adrien let her lead the way, since he was doing everything in his power to not scare her. Still, he could only restrain himself for so long as his temptation was building within him by the second.

Marinette's fingers played with the hem of his shirt, and he wasted no time in removing it. She let her fingers explore his bare chest, and he loved the feeling of electricity that came from her touch.

Marinette was feeling conflicted. She was strangely excited by the thought of Chat Noir in his human form, but she knew that it wasn't love. She was still in love with Adrien. Since they weren't together, this technically wasn't cheating, but it still felt wrong. Still, she had to admit that she was really turned on by whoever was beneath the mask.

"You're beautiful, Ladybug," Adrien breathed.

"You can't even see me, Kitty," Marinette giggled. He smiled, glad to have eased some of her nerves.

"It doesn't matter. I know that without a doubt, you are the most stunning girl in Paris." With that, he found her lips again and kissed her more. She eagerly returned the kiss, and he lifted himself onto the bed so that he was resting on his elbows above her. Without warning, he pulled away.

"Ladybug, don't we need… protection?" Adrien asked warily.

"No! I mean, that would ruin the process of combining our powers," Marinette stuttered, and Adrien could tell something was off. Before he could question it any further, Marinette had pulled him back into the kiss and his thoughts were clouded by lust.

After everything was over, the two collapsed onto the bed. Adrien put his arm around Marinette, his Ladybug, and pulled her close.

"Chat, I've got to go," she explained, squirming to get out of his grasp. She blindly searched for her clothes, doing her best to put on what felt small enough to be her own.

"Ladybug, wait!" Adrien called, leaping up to find her.

"Chat, you have to stay here, you can't watch me leave," Marinette begged. With a sigh, Adrien knew that he would oblige. He reached out into the dark and found her hand, pulling her into a hug. He nuzzled his head into her hair and took in her scent, trying his best to capture this moment in a memory. Strangely enough, he smelled freshly baked cookies and a hint of lavender. His senses went into overdrive as he remembered smelling the same thing earlier, but when was that?

Marinette struggled out of his embrace and raced out the door, leaving Adrien alone. Suddenly, he remembered the smell and was brought back to the moment he was being carried to Master Fu's by his classmate. That's when everything clicked into place. They had the same eyes, the same dark hair, and the same selfless attitude. How could he have missed this?

"Marinette?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

For the next three weeks, Marinette was a bundle of nerves. She spent hours trying to wrap her head around the fact that she could be... pregnant. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, an eighteen-year old klutz who couldn't even hold a conversation with a boy, was going to be a mom. And she couldn't believe it. In the privacy of her room, she went from website to website to gather as much information as she could about pregnancy. According to one website's timeline, she would soon be experiencing cramps, mood swings, and changes in appetite. It would be easy enough to hide those things from her friends, but morning sickness was a different story. Unfortunately, she was already starting to feel nauseous, and she knew it wouldn't be long until the dreaded symptom made a full appearance.

School was a nightmare, especially since she sat right behind Adrien. She felt so ashamed; she had always expected her first time to be with him, and now she would never get that chance. Marinette knew he did not care what she did with her love life, but it still felt like she cheated on him. And, for some reason, he was turning around to talk to her more often. Before, this would have made her heart flutter, but now she would just hang her head in shame.

Adrien knew that he should not have acted any differently, but it was so hard to stay away from Marinette once he knew she was his Ladybug. He couldn't get her out of his head. He pictured that fateful night in his dreams, and he wanted nothing more than to hold her close once more. So, he tried getting to know her better when they were both in their civilian forms. She had always been shy around him, but now she wouldn't even meet his gaze. And he wanted to know why.

Marinette also tried to avoid Chat Noir. She refrained from transforming at all, and planned to stay on the down-low. Unfortunately, evil continued to persist in Paris. When a villain called "The Merman" started his plot to flood the city from The Seine, Marinette had no choice but to suit up. No matter what drama went on between herself and Chat Noir, they were a team. They needed each other.

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette yelled from the inside of her room.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Marinette? You haven't been feeling well, and you know that you're probably…"

"Don't say it, Tikki, please. I promise I'll be careful. But I have to go!" With a heavy sigh, Tikki transformed Marinette into Ladybug.

As strange as it was, Adrien was relieved when he heard that The Merman was attacking Paris. He hadn't had the chance to contact Ladybug, and he knew that Marinette still had no idea that he was Adrien. He wanted to talk to her, even if that meant they had to fight another akuma.

Ladybug's breath caught when she spotted Chat Noir. He looked the same as ever, but for some reason she felt different towards him. His black leather suit was taut around his body as he ran, showing off his muscles. The same muscles that she got to feel that night.

' _Why am I thinking about this?'_ Ladybug wondered. She shook the feeling out of her head and headed to the battle.

His cat ears were perked up as she approached, and his green eyes pierced her own as they made eye contact.

"Ladybug…" Cat Noir started.

"There's no time for chitchat. We have to stop The Merman, or the people could actually drown!" Ladybug yelled. Her powers of restoration after using her lucky charm defied all laws of nature, but they could not bring someone back from the dead. Cat Noir nodded, but he wanted nothing more than to grab her by the shoulders and kiss her again. Regrettably, that night was a one-time affair.

The Merman was standing on a dock and used his hands to bring water forth and blast anyone that was near. While the process was slow, the heroes could tell that the Seine was rising. In a matter of minutes, the water level would reach the street and begin to flood Paris.

"Ah, the heroes finally appear!" The Merman cackled. "I was expecting you, although I must tell you that there isn't much you can do. I will wash the streets of Paris clean, and drown out the evil!"

Chat scoffed. "I'm purr-etty sure you _are_ the evil, Barnacle Bum!"

The Merman roared and sent a blast of water at Chat, who jumped away at the last second. He then turned to the streets and sent a stream of water onto the civilians, who screamed and tried to run indoors towards safety. Ladybug panicked as she saw a young toddler walking along the street. He didn't seem to have an adult with him, and he looked rather lost. Right before the pressurized water could hit him, Ladybug leapt off the dock and pulled him to the ground, covering his little body with her own. As the water subsided, she raced the little boy to the nearest building.

"Stay here, okay buddy? I'll make sure you find your parents soon." The little boy looked as if he was about to cry, but Ladybug knew that she had to go. She ran back out to the battle to find Chat Noir already drenched head-to-toe in water.

"Aww, looks like the Kitty got wet!" Ladybug joked. Chat smiled back at her.

"I so want to make an innuendo right now," he laughed, dodging another blast of water.

"I appreciate your restraint." The two continued to fight The Merman, but his water abilities were making it difficult to even get close enough to attack him. He deflected each fling of Ladybug's yo-yo with a shield of water, and Chat Noir's claws could get nowhere near the villain. Meanwhile, the water from the river was almost approaching ground level.

"Chat! We need to slow the river down!" Ladybug yelled.

"And how do you expect to do that? We can't just stop a river!"

"No, but we can change its course! Use your Cataclysm on the dam!" She pointed to the dam that held the water from the Seine.

"Genius, my lady!" Chat exclaimed, shooting past Merman to destroy the dam. The whole operation crumbled under his touch, and all the rising water started to flow down the river. It wasn't a permanent solution, but it would help keep Paris from becoming Atlantis for now.

The Merman growled with anger at this delay, and his sailor hat glowed purple.

"There!" Ladybug yelled. "That's where the akuma is!" Chat nodded and made a jump for the hat. When The Merman deflected, Ladybug shot her yo-yo at his head. It almost made contact, but it missed and only resulted in deepening the villain's anger. He closed his eyes and raised his hands in attempt to summon more power. A rumble came from the streets.

"Huh?" Chat questioned. Looking around, he could see that water was now pouring from the pipes of buildings, spewing out from the storm drains, and exploding from fire hydrants underground. Not good.

"Ladybug, I'll distract him, and you use your lucky charm!" Chat Noir pounced from left to right, effectively stealing Merman's attention.

Ladybug was preparing to throw her yo-yo into the air, but something stopped her. Out of the corner of her eye, Ladybug saw the young boy from before struggling against the current on the street. She raced towards the child, scooping him into her arms as she fought against the rushing water. The boy was crying, but he did not struggle against Ladybug's hold. Instead, he buried his head into her shoulder.

"Ladybug, help!" Chat screamed. A large tidal wave emerged from the river, and it came crashing down on Chat. He did not immediately emerge.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug cried in a panic. A life preserver appeared in her hands, and she threw it in Chat Noir's direction. Thankfully, he popped up out of the water, which sent a wave of relief over Ladybug. He grabbed on to the ring and coughed the water from his lungs. The Merman was more focused on raising the river as quickly as he could, so Ladybug had time to help Chat up. It was rather difficult to do so while holding a child.

"I'm going to change back, I have to go!" Chat exclaimed.

"Here, take him with you," Ladybug ordered, passing the child to her partner. Chat took the child away, and Ladybug focused her attention on Merman. The two fought back and forth for a long time. It was an extremely unbalanced fight, since Ladybug had to keep pausing to find higher ground. Finally, after she tricked him into thinking Chat was behind him, she threw her yo-yo in his direction and pulled his hat away.

"No!" The Merman screamed, but Ladybug had already started ripping the sailor hat in half. She de-evililized the akuma inside, and watched as The Merman transformed into a simple fisherman. She swam towards the life preserver, threw it in the air, and watched as all the water magically flowed back into the Seine. Then, her earrings beeped, signaling her own transformation, and Ladybug raced back home. She transformed into Marinette again, and a very pissed-off Tikki appeared in front of her.

"Marinette! You cannot be Ladybug while you're pregnant! You need to keep this baby safe if you want to beat HawkMoth, you know!"

"Tikki, we're not even completely sure that I'm pregnant yet. Besides, Chat Noir needs me. We're a team!" Marinette argued.

"Well, then Chat Noir will need to figure something out, because I won't let you do this," Tikki stated, and Marinette's jaw dropped in shock.

"But I'm his partner! He wouldn't understand why I would disappear for nine months without a word, Tikki." Also, she didn't want to stop being Ladybug. For the past year, fighting as Ladybug had been her escape, a way to counter the shy, clumsy girl she normally was.

"Then maybe you should tell him about the baby. He _is_ the father, after all!"

"No, I won't. I can't. I don't want him to feel pressured into parenthood like I was. It wouldn't be fair to him. We'll talk to Master Fu about it all when we can, okay?" Marinette pleaded. She ignored Tikki's sigh and flopped on top of her pink bed. This whole pregnancy thing was proving to already be more trouble than she bargained for.

At school the next day during lunch, Marinette was starting to feel what she could only assume to be morning sickness. When she thought the coast was clear, Marinette excused herself from her table. Kim and Alix were too busy arguing about their latest race, so they didn't even notice her absence. Marinette raced to the girl's bathroom, unaware that Alya was following closely behind.

Alya had taken notice to Marinette's weird behavior recently, and she couldn't believe it! Marinette had been trying to get Adrien to talk to her for over a year now, to the point where it was almost too painful to watch. And now she was ignoring him? What was wrong with her? As a best friend and a future reporter, Alya was determined to discover the truth.

Marinette kicked open a stall and promptly threw up into the toilet, emptying the contents of her stomach unwillingly.

"Whoa, girl!" Alya yelled, and Marinette gasped.

"Alya, what are you doing here?"

"Mari, are you sick? Should I call the nurse? I can go get…"

"No!" Marinette interjected. "I'm okay, I promise."

"That toilet tells me otherwise," Alya dead-panned. She handed Marinette a hand towel and let her friend clean herself up.

Marinette decided then that she couldn't possibly keep her pregnancy a secret forever. She wouldn't tell anyone who the father was, or why she suddenly got pregnant, but Marinette knew she needed all the help she could get.

"You're my best friend, right Alya?"

"Your question wounds me, Mari," Alya joked, clutching her hand to her chest.

"I mean, if I was to tell you a secret, you wouldn't ask questions?"

"Not if you don't want me to. Cross my heart." Alya made a swooping cross motion across her heart to prove she was serious.

"Okay. Well, I think I might be pregnant," Marinette admitted.

"WHAT? WHO? WHEN?" Alya screamed.

"You promised you wouldn't ask questions!" Marinette pointed out.

"Oh my god, it's Adrien's, isn't it? You've been avoiding him all week!"

"No! It's not Adrien's! And stop guessing, I really don't want anyone to know. But could you come with me to the drugstore? I need to buy some… stuff."

Alya took note of the fear in Marinette's voice and immediately brought her attitude back down.

"Of course, Mar. We can even skip class and go now."

"That would be great, thanks," Marinette said, grabbing Alya's hand to be helped up. The two snuck out the back door of the lunchroom and out of the school.

Adrien watched as Alya and Marinette left school. He contemplated just letting them go, but he had been so desperate to know anything about Marinette ever since their night together. His curiosity was killing him. He _was_ part cat, after all. Without another thought, he grabbed his bag and followed them outside. Adrien was careful to leave plenty of distance between himself and the girls. He followed as they left the schoolyard and headed downtown, then watched as they turned into the shopping district. He almost lost them when they turned that corner, but he got a glimpse of Alya's orange shirt turn into the local pharmacy when he raced to catch up. Then, Adrien opened the door and hid behind a shelf and pretended to be interested in the laxatives.

Alya and Marinette entered the "Family Planning" aisle, and Adrien went on his tiptoes to get a glimpse of what they were buying. He hated snooping like this, especially since they might be buying feminine items. But something in his gut told him that they were up to something.

"Bonjour, Monsieur. Can I help you find anything?" The pharmacist had approached Adrien from behind, almost scaring the boy out of his skin.

"Uh, no, thank you," Adrien said, but the man took a peek and saw what Adrien was holding.

"There's no need to be embarrassed about those, young man. A lot of boys your age need them!"

"I've really got it covered," Adrien explained, watching over the pharmacist's shoulder as Alya grabbed a few pink boxes. He got the man to leave his side and watched as Marinette paid for the boxes at the register. He hid behind the shelves as the pair walked out, then he rushed over to the aisle where they had been. Passing the tampons and the condoms, Adrien raced to the spot where the girls had shopped. Scanning the shelves for the familiar pink boxes, his eyes zeroed in on one specific package. Right on the center of the pink box was a pregnancy test.

"Oh, shit."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Adrien didn't even bother going back to school after the incident at the drugstore. He ran the entire way home, even though he felt like he was going to throw up with every step he took. Adrien flung the doors open to the empty mansion, sped up the stairs, and ran straight into his room. For a long time he paced back and forth, stopping only to rub his temples in disbelief. His worries whirled through his head like a tornado, and it ripped whatever was left of his sanity to shreds.

After this had gone on for long enough, Plagg flew out of Adrien's bag.

"Would you stop it? You're creating a draft," he complained, making a beeline for Adrien's fridge.

"Don't you understand, Plagg? Marinette is pregnant! And Marinette is Ladybug! And I slept with Ladybug! Which means that I slept with Marinette, which means that I got her pregnant!" Adrien snapped, causing Plagg to pause his quest for cheese.

"Adrien, relax! For all you know, those tests could have been for Alya. Hasn't she been going steady with Nino for a long time?" Plagg pointed out, and Adrien pondered this for a second. Then, he shook his head in disagreement.

"But Marinette paid for the test. And she carried the bag out of the store. I've just… I've got a feeling that Marinette really is pregnant. Oh, dammit! I knew we should have used protection," he growled. Now, because of one little mistake, he was going to be a father. How was he going to manage that? Since his own dad was often absent, he had no clue what a good father even looked like.

"Well, why didn't you use protection?" Plagg asked.

"Ladybug, I mean... Marinette, told me that the whole "combing powers" thing would fail if we used any."

"Don't you think that's a little strange, Adrien?"

"Yeah, I guess. But she was so distracting! God, Plagg, I've been waiting for Ladybug to let me love her for so long. I just never expected it to be like this," he sighed. Adrien took a seat on his bed and rested his elbows on his knees. Plagg flew over to him and sat on the boy's shoulder.

"It is unfortunate, I agree. But if that is really your baby, then you are responsible for it."

"I know. And I wouldn't dream of abandoning her now," Adrien admitted. "I still love her, and I know I will love that child." He was shocked by the confidence he had in his words, but he felt no doubt in his heart when he said them. Adrien had known that Ladybug was special ever since they had met, and it didn't take long for her to completely steal his lonely heart. He had been desperately struggling to properly express his feelings to her for a long time now.

' _Maybe this baby was a blessing in disguise,'_ he thought. This would provide a perfect opportunity for Adrien to show her how much he cared for her. He could watch over her, protect her, and maybe in return she would start to care for him too.

A smile came over Adrien's face as he imagined raising a child with Marinette. It would certainly be difficult, especially since they were so young. But he knew they could do it. He had more than enough money to support a family, and this situation would finally give him an excuse to quit modeling. Anyway, he was technically an adult; it was time for him to pave his own path in life.

Even though he felt rather excited, one little thing was still bugging Adrien. Had this pregnancy been planned? The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Marinette had wanted this to happen. She didn't explain much to Adrien during their night together, and she had blatantly refused the idea of protection. It didn't make sense to him that their powers would combine after sex. The only thing that Adrien knew that could be created from sex was a child.

He hated these unanswered questions. He wished that he could go speak to Ladybug about it, but she was probably still in her human form. Adrien really didn't want to scare her by revealing that he had already figured out so much. Instead, he decided to go talk to Master Fu. Adrien grabbed his jacket and headed towards the door, barely remembering to take Plagg with him.

"Hey, where are we going?" Plagg complained. "I haven't gotten to eat yet!"

"Sorry, Pal, but we have to run an errand," Adrien explained. He prayed that Master Fu had the answers to his questions, because he would probably go crazy if he didn't have some sort of an explanation soon.

Adrien put his hood over his head and was about to walk out the door when a light hand grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Adrien?" Nathalie, his manager, said with a quiet voice. Adrien jumped around to face her, startled by the sudden contact.

"Oh, hey, Nathalie," he replied. Usually, Nathalie wore a stern look upon her narrow face, and she usually only spoke to Adrien when she had a schedule to give him. This time, however, she had a softer expression.

"Adrien, I wanted to talk to you about something," she revealed.

"What's up?"

"I saw you rush back in a little while ago, and you looked pretty upset," she explained. "I just wanted to make sure that you were alright."

Adrien could hardly believe it. Nathalie had never been as indifferent and cold as his father, but she usually left Adrien to deal with his feelings by himself.

"Thanks, Nathalie, but I'm okay." He started heading out of the door, but she wasn't finished talking yet.

"I was talking to Mr. Agreste yesterday, and he had also noticed that your behavior recently has seemed a bit… off. He seemed to blame it on teenage hormones."

"Nathalie! No, it's nothing like that! It's…" Adrien started babbling in attempt to stop whatever awkward conversation that she was trying to start. He really did not want to have "The Talk" with his manager.

"Adrien, it's okay. I realize that your father hasn't been the most active in your life, but I don't want you to feel like you have no one to talk to about any issues that you might be having."

"Agh, I get it!" Adrien's outburst surprised Nathalie, who took a small step back. "Sorry, Nathalie, I didn't mean to yell. I just don't want to be late to my friend's house."

"It's alright. I'll see you later," she said, and Adrien felt a bit guilty about leaving her on that note. However, he couldn't wait any longer.

Without a goodbye, Adrien fled out of the house and ran to Master Fu's as quickly as possible. Finally, after navigating the streets of Paris, he found himself in front of the building he wanted. On the front door, a big red "CLOSED" sign hung from the doorknob. Adrien ignored it and started banging on the door with his fist. When no one showed up, Adrien knocked harder.

"Master Fu!" he yelled. "It's Adrien! I need to talk to you, I need your help!" Moments later, Master Fu opened the door.

"I was expecting you sometime soon. Please, come in." Adrien accepted the invitation and walked into the house. He followed Master Fu into the sitting room and took a seat on a lounge chair. He opened his mouth to speak, but Master Fu beat him to the punch.

"First, before you ask anything of me, I need to know what you know. I made a promise to Ladybug that I would let her explain everything at her own pace, and I do not wish to break that promise," Master Fu stated. Upon hearing this, Adrien could not help but become a little bit angry. Ladybug knew what was going on, and she didn't bother to tell him? What happened to being equals? Did Master Fu not trust him? Did _Ladybug_ not trust him?

"Please, don't be mad at the girl. This situation is quite difficult, especially for her. I only made the promise because I was asking so much of her already," Fu described. Adrien still didn't like it, but he decided that it was more important to get answers than to be angry.

"Ladybug told me that HawkMoth is gaining too much power and that we aren't strong enough to beat him by ourselves. Basically, she told me that we needed to combine our powers if we wanted to create a power strong enough to beat him. And for some reason, that involved sex, which is all she told me, but now I realize that she is pregnant and…"

"Oh, it worked! Good, good. If you had waited much longer, I feared that we would run out of time." Master Fu said, and Adrien was shocked.

"You mean, this really was all a part of the plan? You actually wanted us to _have a baby?!"_ Adrien cried, jumping up from his seat.

"Ah, I see that Ladybug did not get around to explaining that far yet."

"Yeah, I think she skipped that chapter," Adrien said sarcastically.

"Well, I see no harm in explaining the backstory to you." Master Fu carefully laid out the history of the previous miraculous guardians, pausing every few minutes to give Adrien a chance to soak in the facts.

"So, you're telling me that her child, I mean, _our child_ , is going to be the source of the power that can defeat HawkMoth?" Adrien stammered.

"Precisely."

"But isn't that just a legend? How do you know it will work?"

"I must admit that I cannot guarantee the plan's success. But I am a miraculous legend-keeper, and I can tell you that it is indeed a very true story. Since you and Ladybug have been bound to your miraculouses, you two have your own unique powers inside. Those powers will get passed down to your child when he or she is born. In a way, your baby will not be a miraculous guardian, but a miraculous themselves."

' _No freaking way,_ ' thought Adrien. Not only was he going to be a father, but his child was going to be the most powerful being in the universe? He could only imagine the temper tantrums that this child was going to be capable of.

"But how on earth is an infant going to beat HawkMoth?" Adrien asked, feeling rather stupid for not understanding. Master Fu chuckled in response.

"The child will have great power, yes, but it will act like a miraculous. He or she will be able to give its power to others that they share a strong bond with. For a baby, that means that the power will most likely be shared with their mother and father."

"So, after Ladybug has this baby, we'll be able to tap into their power to beat HawkMoth? That's so cool! Why didn't we do this before?" Adrien joked, but Master Fu sent a glare back in his direction.

"Adrien, this plan was not one that I took pleasure in making. This has already had a detrimental effect on Ladybug, and I hope that you take that seriously."

Instantly, Adrien felt horrible. He had totally forgotten to think about how this all must be affecting Ladybug. While he got to keep fighting crime and living his life, she would be the one who had to suffer the consequences. How could he be so selfish?

"I'm sorry, Master Fu. I will do anything to help her," Adrien promised.

"I'm glad to hear it, Adrien."

Adrien was prepared to get up and leave, but he really wanted to tell Master Fu that he knew about Ladybug's true identity. That way, the Master Fu could talk to them both in their civilian forms without having to worry about all the secrecy.

"Um, hey, Master Fu? There's one more thing I wanted to mention," Adrien mentioned. The old man looked up at the boy with a questioning look, and Adrien continued. "As Ladybug was leaving from… that night, I recognized who she was. I know that Ladybug is Marinette." He didn't know what to expect from the older man, but he was surprised when Master Fu's eyes quickly filled with anger.

"Do you realize how much danger you just put Ladybug in?"

"Hey, what? What do you mean?" Adrien stammered.

"Your identities were to remain secret for a good reason. Those secrets keep you safe, Adrien. Now, if you were kidnapped, tortured, or out of control you have information that can be not just against you, but Marinette as well!"

Upon hearing those words, Adrien's heart shattered. He never wanted to put Ladybug in any danger, and now he had royally screwed up. He hung his head and started to walk out of the shop, ashamed of his actions.

"Wait, Adrien," Master Fu called. Adrien turned back around, but he refused to meet Master Fu's gaze.

"Since we cannot change the fact that you know the truth, we should use it to our advantage. Marinette will surely struggle over the course of the next year, and you are the only one that can help her. Speak to her as Chat to assure her that you are willing to support her, and help her as Adrien by being her friend. Just make sure that you keep your two identities separate."

A slight smile crept onto Adrien's face. He had wanted an excuse to get to help Marinette, and having Master Fu's permission gave him the perfect opportunity. He now had the chance to fix his relationship with his princess, and he wasn't going to waste it.

 **Wow! I have so much fun writing this story. Thanks to everyone for your support!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Alya and Marinette sat together in Marinette's extremely pink bedroom and waited. And waited. They had only been sitting there for about three minutes, but it felt like an eternity to them both. Just a few minutes prior, Marinette had opened the home pregnancy test and nervously followed the instructions within the privacy of her bathroom. She read the package four times over to make sure that she didn't miss a single step. Then, when she was done, she returned to Alya. Normally, Alya would spend every spare moment she had updating her Ladyblog or checking the news, but even she was too restless to be productive.

That was when the longest ten minutes of their lives began. The two friends didn't share any words, but the silence was welcome. Alya desperately wanted to comfort her friend, but she didn't even know where to begin. She prayed silently that a minus sign would appear on the white plastic to tell the two that it was all just some sick coincidence.

Marinette, on the other hand, didn't know what result she wanted. If a plus sign appeared, she would be pregnant. Her childhood would officially be over, and she would be forced to give up all her plans to take care of the baby. Question upon question began flooding her brain, taking advantage of the fact that she had nothing to distract her wild imagination. Would her dreams of becoming a world-famous fashion designer be over? Would she be able to get any well-paying job with an infant? With all of these unanswered dilemmas, Marinette dreaded the thought of the plus sign showing up. However, if the test came up negative, it would mean that she had failed. This child was her only hope of saving the world from HawkMoth's evil, and Marinette knew it was her job to protect the people. Was it still selfish to wish that she wasn't pregnant?

Finally, the time came for their wait to be over. Unmistakably, a small red plus was prevalent on the far end of the test. Their moment of blissful ignorance was over. Marinette was pregnant.

"Oh, Mari…" Alya sighed. She pulled Marinette, whose eyes were already damp, in for a hug. The two girls stayed that way for a long time, and Marinette let out her tears onto Alya's shoulder.

"What am I going to do?" Marinette whimpered. If she was just nervous before, she was now having a full-on panic attack. "Everything is going to change. People at school will hate me. My parents will kick me out. I won't ever get to be a designer."

"Hey now," Alya soothed. "Give everyone else some credit. People at school love you, Mari. They won't hate you. Chloe might give you some grief, but you know we can handle her. And your parents won't kick you out. I'm sure that they will support you every step of the way, just like I will." Marinette wiped her tears with the end of her own sleeve and sat up a little straighter.

"Do you really believe that?"

"One hundred percent. If anyone can do this, it's you, Marinette." This made Marinette feel slightly better about her pregnancy. Pulling it off would not be easy, but she was starting to feel a bit more confident. However, she still didn't think that she would be able to raise the child on her own.

"Alya, I don't know how to raise a baby. I've never even changed a diaper. I don't know what I'm going to do if I must watch a child every single moment of the day. Hell, even babysitting gives me nightmares sometimes, and I only have to deal with those kids for a few hours!" Marinette cried.

"Mari… You know that there are options, right?" Alya asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, you know that you technically don't have to keep the baby, don't you?"

Marinette was caught off-guard by Alya's question. She knew that adoption was a viable option, but she hadn't put much thought into it. The idea of nurturing this baby for nine months and then handing him or her off to a stranger didn't really appeal to her, if she was being honest. While Marinette wasn't too thrilled about being a teen mom, she knew that she would grow immensely attached to this child.

"I don't know. It would be nice to have things go back to normal, I guess," Marinette admitted.

Suddenly, reality hit her like a truck. This baby wasn't going to be a normal baby by any standards. She couldn't give the most powerful baby in the universe to some stranger! Marinette was in the middle of deciding that adoption was out of the question when she remembered Master Fu's offer. If she didn't want to raise the baby, then she could give it to Master Fu. Surely he would be able to take care of the all-powerful baby.

"And if that's what you want, then I will support you. And I'm sure everyone else will, too." Alya pulled her small friend back into a hug, and Marinette returned the gesture.

"I know it will become obvious to everyone in a little bit, but would you promise me that you won't tell anyone about this?" Marinette requested. Alya nodded.

"I promise that I will not tell a soul. You, however, are going to have to tell some people right now," Alya ordered.

"What are you talking about?" Marinette looked at her friend as if a lion had just grown out of her head. "I don't want anyone to know!"

"Girl, this is some serious stuff. You can no longer just worry about your own well-being. You need to tell your parents, like, now. They can help you, Marinette."

"I don't want my parents to know, Alya! I can't tell them, not yet." She turned to the wall and sighed. Alya, however, was not about to back down.

"If you're not going to march downstairs and tell them right this second, then I am," Alya deadpanned. Marinette's jaw dropped open, shocked that her best friend would threaten her like that.

"You promised not to tell anyone, Alya!" she hissed.

"That was before you basically put your child's life in danger. You need their help, Mari. You don't know the first thing about being pregnant!"

As upset as Alya's remarks made her, Marinette knew that the girl was right. It was important for the sake of the mission that the baby was healthy, and her parents would be able to give her advice and watch out for her. She was just too scared that they would be ashamed of her. Deciding not to delay the inevitable, Marinette prepared to face her parents.

"Alright, Alya, I'll tell them. Right now."

Marinette crept down the stairs and into her parent's bakery. They were busy preparing for a large wedding event, and Marinette could tell that her parents were enjoying every minute of it. Her dad would glimpse lovingly over at his wife, who in return would use her fingers to flick a little bit of flour at him and flash a dazzling smile. Even twenty years after they got married they were still helplessly in love. Marinette had always wanted a love like theirs, but she was no longer sure if that was possible anymore.

When she made her way into the room, Tom and Sabine both looked up in acknowledgment.

"Hello, Marinette," her mother greeted. "Where's Alya?" she asked. Marinette took in a deep breath in attempt to calm her nerves. It didn't work.

"I… Mom and Dad, I have something to tell you," she started. Her parents noticed the worrisome look in their daughter's eyes and the waver in her small voice and immediately stopped working.

"Marinette, honey, what is it?" Tom asked.

When she saw the genuine care in her father's eyes, Marinette began to cry. How could she tell them? Her mother raced over to her young daughter, pulling her in for a swift hug. Then, she gently pulled Marinette's chin up so that the girl's eyes met her own.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Sabine asked.

"Yeah, I'm... N-No, I'm not," Marinette sobbed. She pulled the pregnancy test out of her pocket and showed it to her mother without saying another word.

Sabine looked at the piece of plastic with confusion. She knew what it was, but her brain was struggling to connect such an adult thing to her sweet and innocent daughter. Why would Marinette have this?

"Marinette," Sabine said slowly. "Is this… yours?" Her heart sank a little bit when her daughter nodded. "Oh, Marinette…"

Tom had yet to say a word. He was in just as much shock as his wife, but he didn't have any clue what to do. This is the last thing he would have expected from his little girl.

"Mom, Dad, I'm so s-sorry," Marinette said quietly through her tears. Sabine took another look at her broken daughter and realized what she had to do.

"Nonsense," she said clearly.

"Huh?" Marinette and Tom both replied at the same time.

"There is nothing to be sorry for. You're old enough to be responsible for your actions now. If you can promise me that everything leading up to this was… consensual…"

"It was," Marinette promised. While she hadn't necessarily wanted to go through with Master Fu's plan, she had made the final decision for herself. And she had done so knowing the consequences.

"Then you shouldn't be sorry. It won't do us any good here. This is the way it is, there's no changing the past, and we should all move forward," her mom announced. Both Marinette and Tom were caught off-guard. Tom envied his wife's resolve, but he regrettably could not feel the same way.

"Marinette, how did this happen?" Tom tried his best to keep the sadness from his voice, but it was impossible. Marinette's resolve crumbled to dust when she felt his disappointment.

"It just did, Dad. I don't have an excuse."

With that, Tom walked out of the room. Marinette's tears began to flow again, and Sabine sighed.

"He'll come around in time, sweetie. He's just in shock. We all are," she assured, but Marinette had a hard time believing her mother.

"What am I going to do, Mom?" Marinette asked helplessly. Her mother rubbed her shoulders and stroked her hair.

"We're going to get through this. There will be a lot of tough decisions to make, but let's just start with the basics." Sabine began rummaging through her cabinet and pulled out a notebook and a pen. "I have the doctor's number here, and I'll schedule an appointment for later this week. The sooner, the better." Marinette only nodded in reply.

"The doctor is going to want to know as much as possible. You don't have to tell me everything, but I hope you'll at least write as much as you can down and tell the doctor."

"Okay, I can do that," Marinette replied, and her resolve grew a little stronger. Sabine continued to write down some information, but she stopped and looked up at her daughter after a few minutes. Ever since her daughter showed her the positive test, one thing had been bugging her.

"Mari, I know it's not a topic you really want to talk about with your mom, but if you had been starting to do these… things, why didn't you tell me? I could have… I could have helped you, Marinette. I could have taken you to go get the pill, or at least given you someone to talk to about all of this," she told her daughter.

"Oh, Mom…"

"I just wish you would have talked to me. I thought we were close, honey." A single tear fell from the corner of Sabine's eye. She wiped it away immediately, but not before Marinette saw it. The young girl wanted more than anything to come clean and explain everything to her poor mother, but she knew that revealing everything wasn't an option. Over the past few years, Marinette had learned that villains weren't the most destructive and painful thing in a superhero's life; it was the secrecy. Having to lie about her whereabouts had been a huge struggle for Marinette, and having to juggle two separate lives had driven her to the brink of insanity on more than one occasion.

"I'm really sorry, Mom. I know that I should have gone to you. I was just really scared, and now it's too late," Marinette regretted. Sabine shook her head in response.

"It's never too late for you to talk to me, Marinette. I'll always be here for you."

"But what about Dad?"

"He loves you so much, honey. He will always be here for you, too," Sabine promised. Marinette gave her a small smile.

"Thanks, Mom. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart, and that will never change."

 **I find this chapter a little boring, but I have some cute MariChat in the next chapter~ Thank you for your support, it really means a lot to me!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After she told her parents the news, Marinette returned to her room. While she was still worried about her dad, Marinette felt a lot better about her situation. Alya, who had been updating her Ladyblog while she waited for her friend, raised a questioning eyebrow. She smiled when Marinette nodded in reply.

"This is great, Marinette," Alya told her. "You needed their support to get through this."

"But my father was so disappointed in me, Alya. You should have seen his face," Marinette murmured. Alya closed the laptop she had been using and walked over to Marinette.

"You probably gave him the shock of his life, girl. Just wait, I'm sure he'll come around," Alya reassured, and Marinette gave her a small smile. "Now listen up, I heard that Sabrina and Nate went on a date yesterday, and the word around school is that Chloe crashed it!"

"No way!" Marinette exclaimed. "Why would she do that?"

"You know Chloe isn't right in the head. She probably got jealous that Sabrina actually has a man while she can hardly get Adrien to look at her," Alya reasoned. Marinette giggled.

"Thank goodness for that! He can do so much better than her," Marinette scoffed.

"Well yeah, of course he can do better, he can have you," Alya smirked. "Although, now with this mystery father in the picture, I'm not so sure about that." Marinette shook her head in denial.

"As weird as this is going to sound, I don't really have feelings for… the father," Marinette admitted. She still didn't like the way the word "father" sounded when it was describing Chat Noir.

"But Mari, you _slept_ with him. I know you, Mari; you're not the type to sleep around. He has to mean something to you, right?" Alya inquired.

Her friend's question made Marinette stop and think. Did she feel anything more for Chat Noir than just a partnership? She remembered the feelings she had when she was with him that night in the hotel. She remembered the way he treated her so gently, how he cared for her, and how her body melted perfectly against his own. When she pictured his flirty smirk and striking green eyes, Marinette had to admit that it gave her a few chills. However, she couldn't help but wish that it had been Adrien instead.

"He certainly means something to me, but I don't think I can continue romantically with him," Marinette told the other girl. Alya, who had been hoping to learn the identity of the mystery man, was dissatisfied.

"Well, what are you going to do now that you're carrying his child?" Alya interrogated.

"I'm not going to tell him," Marinette stated, as if the whole thing was that simple.

"Marinette! Do you really think that not telling this guy that he is now a father is a good plan? If the tables were turned, how would you feel?" Alya put her hands on her hips and looked her best friend straight in the eyes. Marinette sighed. She knew that if it was the other way around that she would be extremely upset. Marinette also knew that there was no way Chat would keep a secret like that from her. Shouldn't she show him the same trust in return?

"You're right, Alya. I should tell him." Marinette dreaded the idea of having to share her secret again and again, but she didn't really have a choice. Really, she should have just told him the entire plan in the beginning. Right then and there, Marinette decided to transform and find Chat Noir.

Little did Marinette know, Chat Noir had been listening in to her conversation the entire time. Adrien had run straight from Master Fu's shop to the Dupain-Cheng bakery, then had transformed into Chat Noir within the privacy of an alley. He had intended to talk to Marinette immediately. He knew that she wouldn't mind his unannounced presence, and he knew how to get into her room without alerting her parents.

He had gotten as far as cracking open her skylight when he noticed that the girl sitting at the computer had auburn hair instead of Marinette's midnight blue locks. He quickly and quietly closed the window and lowered himself closer to the ground so he could not easily be seen. Then, Chat decided to open the window just a crack so that he could eavesdrop.

He waited all afternoon and listened to the two friends gossip and laugh. As sappy as it was, Adrien couldn't help but let his heart soar whenever he saw Marinette smile. Even though Chat wanted to be the one making her laugh, she deserved to be happy.

After about an hour, long after he had started to tune out the endless gossip, Adrien heard something much more interesting.

"... He can have you. Although, now with this mystery father in the picture, I'm not so sure about that," he heard from the crack in the window.

"Huh?" Adrien wondered. He knew that he was the mystery man, but who else was Alya talking about? Who could have Marinette? Putting his thoughts on hold, he waited with bated breath for Marinette to answer.

"As weird as this is going to sound, I don't really have feelings for… the father."

Adrien's heart broke. He had thought that Marinette might have started to reciprocate his feelings for her after that fateful night, but he was wrong. Now that he knew she loved someone else his dreams of starting a family with Marinette were crushed. No wonder this painful unreciprocated love was called a "crush".

He continued to listen as Marinette explained her decision to keep him in the dark about the baby. Even though he already knew she was pregnant, Chat was disappointed that she didn't trust him enough to tell him about it. Yet, being angry with Marinette seemed rather unfair since he technically wasn't supposed to know anything yet.

What _did_ make him angry was the fact that she was in love with another man. It wasn't anything he could blame her for, but it was something he could change. He wouldn't let anyone else get in the way of his love for Marinette and their future child.

' _I'll get you to fall for me, Princess, just you wait,'_ Adrien thought.

After another half an hour, Alya finally left to go home. Marinette remained in her bedroom and lazily leafed through a magazine. Now, Chat Noir had the opportunity to make his move. While he planned to jump through the skylight for an easy landing, Chat Noir slipped on the corner of the window and fell straight through. When Chat's face met the floor, it made a very loud _thump_ that startled poor Marinette out of her skin.

"Chat Noir!" Marinette screamed. "What on earth are you doing?" Chat pushed himself off the floor and dusted himself off.

"I just thought I might… _drop in_ ," he smirked, forcing Marinette to roll her eyes.

"Very punny, Kitty."

"What can I say? I'm…" Chat Noir was interrupted by the sound of footsteps racing up the stairs. Marinette's eyes grew as wide as saucers and she pushed Chat into her closet just before Tom burst into her bedroom wielding a broom.

"Marinette! Are you alright?" Tom asked while he scanned the room for potential threats. Luckily, he didn't see the tip of Chat's tail that had gotten caught outside of the closet door. Whoops.

"Yeah, Dad, everything is okay. I just tripped, that's all," Marinette lied. Her father didn't seem to notice the slight waver in her voice. Now without a purpose, Tom awkwardly scratched the back of his head and looked down.

"I see. I'll just be on my way back down," he told Marinette. Without another word, he was gone. Marinette was too preoccupied with the boy in her closet to worry too much about her Dad's coldness. She opened the door of her closet, and Chat Noir snatched up his tail.

"Meowch! Watch out next time, okay?" He gingerly cradled his tail, exaggerating his pain for show.

"Next time I'll just leave you in the closet," Marinette mumbled.

"You can't stop me from coming out of the closet, Mari" Chat said, oblivious to the hidden meaning behind his words. Marinette put her hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.

"Hey, hey, that's not what I meant!" Chat stammered.

"It's okay, Kitty. I've always had a slight suspicion that you might play for the other team. You do wear a lot of tight black leather clothing, after all," Marinette joked.

' _There's no way you could possibly think that I'm gay after our night together_ ' Chat thought to himself to save his pride. "Ha, ha, very funny."

"What are you doing here, Chat?" Marinette asked with a raised brow.

"Am I not allowed to come talk to my Princess?" Chat stood behind Marinette and tried to put his arms around her, but she ducked out of his hold.

"I never said that, but you normally stop by at night when you're patrolling."

"Aw, how cute, you know my schedule," Chat mused. Marinette scoffed.

"You're so narcissistic, Kitty." Marinette was used to all of Chat's tricks by now. She had plenty of practice from all the time she spent deflecting his flirtations as Ladybug. "But seriously, why are you here?"

"I have something important to talk to you about, Marinette," he started. Marinette noticed the unfamiliar serious tone in his voice and let him continue. "But you have to promise that you will not get mad or ignore me when I tell you."

"Chat, what's wrong?" Marinette asked.

"Do you promise me?" Chat's piercing green eyes were lacking their usual humor, and they looked right into Marinette's blue orbs.

"I promise."

"Marinette," he began, and he took a deep breath before continuing. "I know that you're Ladybug."

At first, Marinette said nothing. Her eyes slowly widened, and she took a step backwards. Looking Chat up and down, she searched for some tell or signal that meant that he was just messing with her. She found nothing. Still, she denied his claims for the sake of self-preservation.

"You've got to be kidding me, right? You really think that clumsy old me could save Paris? Please." She took another step backwards, but Chat grabbed her arms.

"It's not a joke, Marinette. I know. I didn't want to learn the truth, but I did. Master Fu was pissed at me for figuring it out, but he basically confirmed it," Chat explained.

"No, no, no!" Marinette shook her head violently. She tried to rip her arms away, but Chat held her with an iron grip.

"I don't want you to freak out, Mari, it will be okay," he soothed.

"That's easy for you to say! It wasn't your identity that was compromised!" Marinette spat back.

"I know, Princess, and I'm sorry. No matter how much I wish I could, I can't change that. But I want you to know that I would never reveal your secret. Ever." With that, he pulled her in towards his chest. Surprisingly, she didn't fight him.

Marinette wanted to be angry, but she knew that it would get her nowhere. Even though he drove her insane, she really did trust Chat Noir. If anyone would take her secret to the grave, it would be him.

"Okay," she whispered. Chat could not believe his ears. He dropped his arms and looked at her in disbelief.

"Okay?"

"Yeah. We can't do anything about it, so there is no sense in getting upset," she shrugged. Chat was expecting her to freak out, but she didn't. Marinette was truly unlike any other girl he had ever known, and that only made him crazier about her.

Chat wanted to soak in every bit of this bonding moment, but he wasn't finished with his confessions.

"Well, if I'm going to keep being honest, there's one more thing you should know."

"Chat, are you going to tell me who you really are? Because while I'm dying to know, I…"

"No, no, it's not that," Chat interrupted. "I mean, I can see why it is unfair for you not to know… Wait, did you say that you were dying to know?"

"Well, yeah, of course I am. Haven't you wanted to know who I was ever since we first met?"

"Touché, M'lady."

"Now what was it you wanted to tell me?" Marinette wondered. What else could he possibly know?

"I know that you're pregnant."

"Fuck," Marinette swore. Chat was taken aback. He had never heard his sweet princess curse before. He watched as she stumbled over to her bed and sat down. When she looked up at him, her look was filled with such desperation that it made him feel guilty.

All the cards that Marinette thought she had safe in her hand were now laid out on the table for Chat to see, and it scared her more than any villain ever had. But maybe she didn't have the right to hold those cards in the first place. Chat silently knelt in front of her and held her cheek with his hand.

"It's going to be okay, Marinette. I'm going to be right here for you, I promise." A few tears started to flow down her porcelain cheeks, and he used his thumb to wipe them away.

"I'm so sorry, Chat," she whispered. "I shouldn't have kept Master Fu's plan a secret. I should have trusted you, and I'm sorry that I didn't."

"Shhh," Chat soothed. "I'm not mad, Mari. We'll get through this together."

Marinette knew he was right, and she vowed to stop being such a baby about this baby. It was time for the tears to end. She wasn't sure if everything would be as easy as Chat was making it seem, but she knew better than to doubt him anymore.

 **I'm so glad that you all are enjoying this story! If anyone is interested, I put a poll on my profile page for people to vote on the future baby's name. Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Marinette swung her legs back and forth as she waited on the examination table. Since this was just a basic appointment, there was luckily no need for her to actually put on one of those uncomfortable hospital gowns.

Sabine sat in a chair nearby reading a lifestyle magazine. The veteran mom's calm persona was a direct contrast to the new mother's nervous aura. Tom was nowhere to be found. Marinette extended the invitation to him, but he declined. He claimed that there was a cake recipe that he needed to research, but Marinette could tell it was just an excuse. Therefore, Sabine and Marinette left for the appointment on their own.

After a short wait, the doctor walked into the room. The doctor was a woman, as per Marinette's request, and she carried herself with a professional manner that only made Marinette more anxious.

' _Stop it, Marinette. Stop being such a scaredy-cat,'_ she thought. ' _Oh great, I made a Chat joke. That dumb kitty must be rubbing off on me.'_

"How are you today, Ms. Dupain-Cheng?" the doctor questioned while rifling through some papers she brought into the room with her.

"Fine," said Marinette. The doctor scribbled something on her paper and looked up.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Doctor Johnston. How many weeks pregnant are you?"

"About five," Marinette answered. Over the past few weeks, Marinette had begun to accept the fact that she was going to have a baby. This was now her reality, and she would have to learn to deal with it. Morning sickness and cramps had made making it to school on time fairly difficult, but Marinette was no stranger to being late. No one even questioned her absences.

"Great. Now, I want to gather as much medical history together as possible so that we will know if there are any warning signs that we need to look out for," the doctor explained. She proceeded to ask Marinette about her blood type, her family's history of diseases and chronic illnesses, and what kind of pregnancy her mother had. Marinette answered what she knew, and Sabine helped to fill in the holes. The doctor just nodded along while she wrote it all down in her notebook.

"Thank you. Now, for the father's information. Do you have his medical history on file?" Doctor Johnston requested. Marinette looked down at her hands.

"No, I don't," she answered sheepishly.

"I see. Do you think that you'll be able to get ahold of it by the next appointment?"

"I can try," Marinette suggested. The doctor nodded and handed her some paperwork.

"If you get the chance, give this to him to fill out. The more we know, the safer your pregnancy will be."

Marinette fingered through the papers, wondering if Chat Noir would be willing to fill them out. He had seemed pretty adamant that he wished to be involved in the whole process the last time they had spoken. However, giving away his medical records could be risky; what if someone traced the information back to him?

' _It can't hurt to ask,'_ Marinette decided. _'He'd probably figure it out if I try to keep it a secret, anyway. How on earth does he do it?'_

"Okay Marinette, we need to take a blood test now. With it, we will be able to confirm your pregnancy," Johnston told her. Marinette nodded and held out her arm. Her other hand reached for Sabine, who gave her daughter's hand a squeeze as the doctor collected the blood. Marinette felt a little silly. She was technically an adult now, and she still needed to hold her mommy's hand when at the doctor's office. Soon enough, she would be on the other side of that exchange.

When the doctor came back with the results, she told Marinette that the girl was pregnant without a doubt. This was no surprise to Marinette, but there was something about hearing it from a doctor that made it seem even more real.

Johnston walked over to her laptop and started typing away when something strange happened. One minute, the laptop was in perfect condition, and the next minute it had fried. No, not fried. _Exploded._

"Woah!" Doctor Johnston exclaimed, using her hands to shield her face from flying laptop bits.

"What happened?" Sabine cried, glancing over to make sure that her daughter was unharmed.

"I'm… I'm not sure," the doctor admitted. "You two are free to go. Just take this prescription to the pharmacy and make sure to take two pills a day." She ripped off a sheet from a legal pad that looked like it was covered in chicken scratch. Sabine quickly ushered Marinette out of the office.

"That was odd," said Marinette.

"It sure was. Well, let's go pick up your prescription. The pharmacy is just around the corner." The two walked in sync to the same drugstore that Marinette had bought her pregnancy test from. When they entered the door, Marinette felt her purse tap against her leg, meaning that Tikki needed to come out.

"Hey Mom, I have to use the restroom. Would you mind picking up the prescription for me?" Marinette asked. Her mother agreed, and Marinette raced to the bathroom. Once she got inside and locked the door, she pulled the zipper to her purse open and Tikki flew out.

"Marinette, what happened in the doctor's office?" Tikki demanded to know.

"I'm not sure, Tikki. I think the doctor's laptop spontaneously combusted or something!"

"Oh, boy," Tikki groaned. "This is gonna be harder than I thought."

"What? What is going to be harder?" Marinette panicked.

"It was the baby, Marinette."

"What do you mean?"

"You have the most powerful being in the universe incubating in your stomach, Marinette. This is no normal pregnancy."

"Well I knew that," Marinette scoffed. "But the baby is still just a collection of cells! How could it do something like that?"

"This just goes to show how strong this child will be, Marinette. You have to be careful. The baby is connected to you and your emotions, so you need to make sure to stay calm. Otherwise, you may be more destructive than an akuma!" Tikki cried.

"Oh, great," Marinette sighed. She had never been one to control her emotions well, and now she had pregnancy hormones amplifying them. This was just another thing to add to the long list of other things that were currently making her life more difficult.

"Marinette, honey, is that you?" Sabine's voice rang through the wooden bathroom door. Tikki quickly flew back into Marinette's purse and Marinette turned on the sink.

"Yeah, Mom, I'll be right there!" she called. A few seconds later, she emerged from the bathroom as casually as she could. Sabine handed her a small bottle of pills and they started heading back towards the bakery. As they neared the final turn, Sabine stopped.

"Hey, sweetheart? I want to make one last stop before we get home," Sabine explained.

"Where are we going?" Marinette questioned.

"When I was pregnant with you, after every doctor's appointment, I would go and buy something for the baby. I did it the first time because I was so excited and couldn't wait to meet you, and then it became a habit. I think it's a great way to celebrate."

Marinette was pleasantly surprised to hear her mother say that. Since the reasons behind her pregnancy were extremely unconventional, she hadn't really thought of her baby as something to celebrate. Plus, she still was planning to give the baby to Master Fu after their mission was complete. However, that didn't mean that she couldn't still be a part of the baby's life. She could spoil that child rotten with handmade clothes and visit him or her every day if she wanted!

"That sounds nice, Mom," said Marinette, and the two headed to the department store.

Marinette had seen the baby section of the store dozens of times, but she never had actually shopped in it. Pastels and ponies covered all of the onesies and blankets, and everything was just so _small_. Marinette fawned over absolutely everything, and it made Sabine smile. After they had browsed the entire section, Marinette's eyes were drawn to a small pair of black cat slippers with the word "Meow" was embroidered on the side of each shoe. Instantly, Marinette thought of Chat Noir. He would certainly get a kick out of them.

Sabine and Marinette paid for the slippers and went back to the bakery. Tom had prepared dinner for them, so they all sat around the table and ate. Conversation between Tom and Marinette was civil at best, but it was better than the silence that had plagued them for weeks. Talk about the baby and the recent appointment was forbidden.

After the meal, Marinette excused herself to her room for some alone time. She set the little slippers on her desk and stared at them for a long time. Slowly but surely, she was warming up to the idea of the baby. She found herself mindlessly putting her hand on her stomach sometimes, and she had even started talking to the baby. She couldn't help it; her maternal instincts were kicking in.

Not long after night fell, Chat Noir swung into her room. His presence was welcomed by the girl, who had grown accustomed to his nighttime visits. Chat knew that Marinette had gone to see the doctor, and his normal cool-as-a-cucumber persona was exchanged for excitement.

"How is my Purr-incess tonight? How was the appointment?" Chat inquired.

"Not bad," admitted Marinette. "The baby definitely has your cataclysmic tendencies, however."

"What are you talking about?"

"When we were in the examination room, the doctor's laptop blew up. It actually exploded, Chat."

"And the baby did that?" Chat asked in disbelief. Marinette nodded and looked down at her stomach. Chat couldn't keep his laughter in. "It seems that we have a little firecracker on our hands."

"Unfortunately that firecracker's fuse is connected directly to my emotions," Marinette lamented.

"Uh-oh. I guess you'll just have to keep your cool, Mari, or else Paris will feel the consequences," Chat smirked.

"And I'm sure all of the pregnancy hormones will be a great help with that endeavor," Marinette said sarcastically. Chat grinned at her.

"Looks like my feisty princess will just have to keep her claws to herself," he joked. Marinette gave him a playful punch to the shoulder. "Now, now, Bugaboo, that isn't how we keep our cool!"

"I dunno, Kitty, it sure made me feel better," said Marinette coyly.

Chat Noir was absolutely ecstatic. Even though she was normally comfortable with his feline alter ego, she had been depressed and overwhelmed with the pregnancy. Now, it seemed like she was being her old self again. He listened intently as she told him about her appointment, and he absolutely could not keep the silly grin off of his face. He was so in love.

"... And then Mom took me to get my prescription, and then we went shopping, and… OH! I have something to show you!" Marinette squealed. Chat raised an eyebrow at her and waited as she rummaged through a shopping back.

"We bought these for the baby! I thought they were just too cute to pass up," she explained. Chat gingerly took the tiny slippers into his hands. When he noticed that they resembled black cats, he felt his eyes begin to water. To him, this was a peace offering. This whole operation began on lies and secrets that damaged their trust in each other, and these shoes seemed to say that she was willing to fix it. They were in this together, Adrien and Marinette.

"Naturally, our child will only wear the most stylish of shoes," Chat commented.

"I thought you might appreciate them," Marinette smiled.

"I love them," Chat told her. Oh, how he wished that he had the confidence to tell her what, (or who for that matter), he loved the most.

 **Another chapter complete! Thank you again for all of the support you give me! I don't think another chapter will come out for a few days, but I have good things planned for when it does. Don't forget to vote for your favorite possible baby name using the poll on my bio!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Marinette woke up the next day feeling a sense of normalcy and calm that she hadn't felt in weeks. The sun shone through her window and lit up the pink room as she started to get dressed. She glanced at the black cat baby shoes and remembered her pleasant encounter with Chat during the previous night. Marinette had to admit he looked kind of cute when he was excited about the baby. Just the mention of the subject would cause his entire face to light up. She even saw a bit of sparkle in those emerald green eyes of his. She could get used to that version of Chat Noir.

Since she was still half-asleep, Marinette relied on muscle memory to follow her morning routine. It was only when she saw a pink sticky-note on her mirror that she snapped out of her trance.

" _Don't forget to take your prescription!"_ the note read. Marinette followed its instruction and promptly put the pill bottle back in her bag. With a quick glance to the clock on the wall, Marinette knew that it was time to go to school. For the first time in a long time, she was not going to be late. Her walk to school was taken at a normal, more leisurely pace than normal. It was relaxing. Marinette felt like nothing could possibly bring her down on a day that had started as perfectly as that one.

Unfortunately, she was wrong. Her friend Alya waved at Marinette from the steps of the school, and Marinette made her way over to the auburn-haired girl. Alya held a packet of notes in her hand and was furiously trying to cram as much information into her head as she possibly could.

"Mari! Did you study for the chemistry exam?" Alya inquired. Marinette's blood chilled as she vaguely remembered her teacher mentioning a possible quiz the next day. Which was now today.

"Crap, I forgot!" Marinette cried. She had always struggled with chemistry. The only reason she still managed to pass was with the help of Alya, who would spend hours upon hours drilling her friend on the formulas and names of the elements. Since Marinette had been devoting all of her brain power to thinking about the baby, she hadn't even thought to look over the information. Alya gave her friend a sympathetic look.

"Maybe if you explain your situation to the teacher, she might give you some extra time," she suggested. Marinette shook her head. She wouldn't accept pity points no matter how desperate she was.

"It's alright, Alya. I'll just study like mad for the next one," said Marinette, who struggled to keep the worry out of her voice. If she failed this quiz, she doubted that it would be possible to bring her grade back up before the end of the semester. Alya knew that her friend was lying through her teeth, but the school bell rang before she had a chance to mention it. The two girls took their seats in the classroom and Marinette had the chance to glance at her friend's packet. She tried as best as she could to absorb any of the information, but none of the symbols she saw meant anything in her mind. With a heavy sigh, Marinette handed Alya the packet and accepted defeat.

Moments before the second bell rang, Adrien Agreste walked in the classroom. Marinette's sixth sense (her crush-sensing one) tingled as he walked in and she snapped her head up to look at him. Strangely enough, his eyes immediately found hers. He gave her a small smile and a wave, which made Marinette freeze. Alya elbowed her nervous friend and Marinette came back to her senses. She managed to give Adrien a little wave in return as he walked closer to reach his own seat.

"Did you see that?" Marinette whispered to Alya.

"Yes, Mari, I was right here. I saw the wave," Alya replied nonchalantly.

"What do you think it means?"

"I think it means he's friendly," Alya snorted. Marinette rolled her eyes and stared dreamily at the back of Adrien's head. Strangely enough, he turned back around to face her. If he was startled by the fact that she was already looking right at him, he didn't show it.

"How are you doing today, Marinette?" Adrien asked. Marinette's heart filled with butterflies when he said her name. Even though he had been starting to talk to her more at school, it still never failed to catch her off-guard. Unfortunately, it surprised her so much that she forgot to respond. Alya inwardly groaned at her love-struck friend and turned to the boy.

"Sorry, she's just nervous about the exam. It's making her a little spacey," Alya lied. Adrien didn't seem to notice the fib. He was more focused on Marinette, who did seem to be rather pale. He flashed her one of his magazine-cover smiles in attempt to cheer her up, but it seemed to only make her more nervous for some reason.

"Don't worry about the quiz, Marinette, I'm sure it will be a breeze," he comforted.

' _Yeah, for you. You're like a chemistry genius. How is it that you're so attractive, kind, AND smart? It's not fair to the rest of us!'_ Marinette thought to herself. Adrien looked like he was expecting some kind of answer, but the teacher walked in and took away any chance Marinette had of responding.

"Welcome, class. I hope you prepared for the quiz I told you about, since it won't be any normal exam. As you can see, I have placed out some test tubes and beakers in front of you. Please do not touch anything until the exam has begun. I want each of you to write down all five types of chemical reactions, then give an example of each using the chemical names on the test tubes. Then, pick one of the reactions and replicate it using the chemicals in front of you. Now, for your own safety, please do not mix any chemicals that we have not mixed before in class. You may now pick up your goggles and begin," the teacher stated.

Marinette's heartbeat began to speed up at an alarming rate. She vaguely remembered the teacher explaining the reactions a week ago, but Marinette couldn't recall anything she had said.

' _There was something about… Explosions? No, that wasn't it… I think it started with a 'C'? Combat… Construction… Combustion!'_ Marinette concluded. She knew for a fact that combustion was a type of chemical reaction and wrote it on one of the five blanks. Alas, that was the extent of her knowledge. Marinette stared at the almost-blank test with anguish. She was screwed. Quickly, she scribbled gibberish terms on the other blanks and prayed that her brain subconsciously remembered something. As the clock continued to tick, her anxiety grew. Marinette hated the idea of failing the class and having to retake it next semester. That would mean that she would have to take chemistry and physics simultaneously, and her brain could not handle all of that science. Utterly defeated, Marinette put her head in her hands and waited for time to run out.

Meanwhile, she watched as Chloe was sliding her paper back and forth to Sabrina, who was writing down the answers. How was the teacher missing this? Even though Marinette was used to Chloe's antics, this just pissed her off. Why should Marinette have to face the consequences for doing the right thing while Chloe was going to get rewarded for cheating? It wasn't fair! Marinette felt her face heating up as she let her anger get to her.

All of the sudden, Chloe's test tubes exploded. Chemicals splashed everywhere, and kids had to shield their faces to keep the shattered glass from cutting them. Marinette watched in horror as a small chemical burn started to appear on Chloe's forearm. The teacher ran to the screaming girl and pushed her entire body under the emergency shower. Chloe's scream mixed with the sound of the school's fire alarm, creating a high-pitched, antagonizing noise that only belonged in a horror movie. All of the other kids were evacuating the room in a terrified frenzy, but Marinette was frozen to her spot.

As soon as the explosion occurred, Adrien's eyes searched for Marinette. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and had a strange emotion in them that Adrien couldn't identify. Suddenly, he put two and two together. Marinette had said something last night about the baby exploding the doctor's laptop when Marinette got anxious, didn't she? Was it possible that Marinette had gotten upset enough to trigger something similar? If so, he was going to have to have a serious talk to Marinette about controlling her feelings. Not only was this a great danger to others, but Marinette could also get harmed if she wasn't careful.

When he realized that Marinette wasn't about to move, Adrien lunged for her hand and started pulling her out of the door.

"Come on, Mari, you need to get out of here!" Adrien yelled. He wasn't sure if any chemicals were now floating around in that lab, but it couldn't be good for the baby. He kept a tight grasp on her hand as he led her through the courtyard. Under any different circumstances, Marinette would be in heaven knowing that she was holding her crush's hand. However, she was still in shock and could barely even register that she was moving at all.

Finally, Adrien found an empty classroom and guided the girl inside. He gave her a once-over, searching for any cuts or burns that she might have sustained. Luckily, she looked clean.

"Mari, are you alright?" he asked her, and she gave him a small nod. Physically, she was fine. Emotionally, however, Marinette was struggling. She felt so guilty for what happened to Chloe. Marinette let her emotions get the best of her, and another girl had to suffer the consequences. True, Chloe wasn't exactly innocent, but Marinette would have never wished this upon the blond bully. It was all Marinette's fault.

Adrien was struggling to find a way to comfort Marinette without revealing that he was Chat Noir. He desperately wished to tell her that she shouldn't be so hard on herself; it was just a mistake. There was no way she could have known that this would happen. Since he couldn't tell her those things, he decided to feign ignorance.

"Why are you so upset, Marinette?" Adrien started asking. Marinette couldn't help but look a bit nervous. She realized that she was alone, with her crush, and he was talking to her. How weird was today going to get?

"I… Uh… I watched as Chloe did something she wasn't supposed to," Marinette stuttered. It technically wasn't a lie; Chloe had been cheating. "I could have said something, but instead I watched as she got hurt." Adrien knew that this wasn't the whole truth. He noticed that she had tried to make the lie seem as similar as the real thing, and took the opportunity to give her some real advice.

"You can't blame yourself, Mari, it was out of your control."

"But I could have kept it in control if I had tried harder!"

"I know it seems that way, but I know that you meant no harm," Adrien soothed, and Marinette became really confused. His words, though they weren't specific, made it seem like he knew what really happened.

' _No, that's impossible. I know Chat Noir didn't tell him, and there's no way Adrien could predict something like this,'_ Marinette reasoned. Still, her doubts left a strange feeling in her gut. Nevertheless, Adrien's words had calmed her down significantly.

"Thanks… Adrien," she said.

"Anytime, Mari. Are you ready to go back outside?"

"Yeah, I think so," Marinette responded. Adrien led her back out of the door, and he had to restrain himself from holding her hand. He had to make sure that she didn't get suspicious. When they reached the courtyard, Chloe had already returned to the rest of the class. She had a bandage where the burn had been, but she seemed to be back to her normal self. Regrettably, this meant that she was prepared to antagonize Marinette for stealing Adrien's attention. When the dark-haired girl walked past, Chloe "accidentally" fell into Marinette, causing the latter to fall to the ground.

"Oops!" Chloe laughed, and her voice sounded more poisonous than apologetic. A small crowd appeared near the two girls, but that was the least of Marinette's problems. She had used her arms to brace herself for the fall, which had caused her clutch to fall off of her arm. It snapped open near Chloe's foot, and the blonde girl reached for the contents that had spilled out. Marinette watched in horror as the girl reached for the bag where her Kwami hid, and she was afraid that Tikki would be unable to avoid being seen. Thankfully, Chloe only seemed interested in the first thing she pulled out. And that thing happened to be Marinette's new prescription.

Adrien reached his hand out to help Marinette up, but she had already gotten up to try and steal her own belongings back. She got her bag back without a fight, but Chloe kept the pills out of Marinette's reach until she had a chance to read the bottle. When she did, her eyes grew as wide as saucers and an evil smirk found it's place upon Chloe's face.

"Marinette, are these prenatal vitamins?" Chloe asked theatrically. Marinette snatched the bottle back, but the damage had already been done. She heard the hushed whispers of her classmates as they struggled to comprehend what had just happened. Without another word, Marinette raced out of the courtyard, trying her best to keep her tears from falling. Everyone was so immersed in their conversations that no one noticed when the light fixtures she ran past spontaneously burst. Everyone except Adrien.

 **Hey everyone! Thank you for reading and for all of your support, it truly means a lot to me! Unfortunately, updates are going to have to slow down a bit; I ended up getting a job and it is taking up a ton of my time. However, this story means a lot to me, and I want to continue to update as much as possible. Thanks guys!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: There will be some strong language in this chapter**

Chapter 9

Marinette raced through the empty halls of the school with tears streaming down her face. She knew the school like the back of her hand, but she had never felt so lost in her life. Marinette was vaguely aware that she was only running in circles, but she didn't care. As long as she was moving, running, escaping, she could avoid all of the people still in the courtyard. She wouldn't let them catch her. As she turned another corner through the back of the school, she found a secluded corner behind some lockers. With her back against the wall, she slid down and let her tears fall freely.

Meanwhile, Adrien was focused on doing some damage control with his peers. He tried to tell his friends that she could have just been reusing the bottle or that they were for Marinette's mom, but no one believed him. While Chloe had been known to tell tons of lies, the evidence for her claim was irrefutable. Adrien had known for a long time that Chloe was not the president of Marinette's fan club, but he never suspected that she would do something like this. But she did, and now she had the most evil grin on her face as she talked with some girls from the class.

"Oh, how on earth did our sweet, innocent Marinette get knocked up?" Chloe laughed. Sabrina, her evil lackey, laughed right alongside the malicious blonde. A couple of other girls laughed nervously to fit in. Adrien started to seethe with anger. Not even his breathing exercises were a help against this fury. However, he knew that fighting the girls would only result in more trouble. It was more important right now to find Marinette.

"Yeah, what a slut!" Sabrina exclaimed. Chloe howled with more laughter, and any resolve Adrien had previously had broke down.

"You heartless bitch!" Adrien snapped, earning a gasp from the group of girls. No one had ever seen this side of him before. "Do you really think this is funny?"

Sabrina was frozen and unsure what to say to the angry boy in front of her. Chloe, however, was not about to let her sweet feeling of victory go.

"Adrien, honey, I think you forget that it takes two people to make a baby. This was her choice. She basically chose to throw her life away!" Chloe argued. That was it.

"You don't know anything, Chloe," Adrien growled, his voice low and dark. He wanted nothing more than to Cataclysm that girl, but he left before he was able to do something that he would regret. He took off down the halls in the direction that Marinette had vanished to, searching for any sign of his girl. After searching for a good ten minutes, he found her curled up in a ball. She had never looked so small.

"Marinette, I…" Adrien started to say, but he was interrupted when the girl sprang up from the floor and started to race down the hall. Adrien attempted to grab her arm, but she had already bolted. He was sure that his Cat Noir reflexes would make this chase easy, but Marinette had some serious speed.

"Wait!" Adrien cried desperately, but he was too late. Marinette had gone into the girl's bathroom to escape humiliation, and Adrien was too nervous to follow her in. Instead, he slumped down in front of the door. His mind was filled with worry, and he felt absolutely helpless. How could he always save Paris from certain destruction when he couldn't even save the woman he loved? After a few minutes of self-pity, he knocked on the door of the bathroom. When no reply came, Adrien knocked again. And again.

"Marinette, please come out," he pleaded. Still, she did not come to the door. Adrien's heart broke when he thought about the blue-haired girl in so much emotional pain, and he decided that enough was enough. He hesitantly opened the door, ignoring the discomfort the thought of being in the ladies' room gave him. Upon looking around, Adrien was met only by an empty room and an open window. Marinette was gone.

She ran around the outside of the building only to be met by an extremely high fence. If she had been Ladybug, she could have easily used her yo-yo to swing over the barrier. However, she didn't have her heroine's advantages right now. The only way back out of the building would be through the courtyard. As much as she wanted to avoid her peers for the rest of her life, her need to escape was stronger. When she approached the dreaded yard, she slowed to a walk to try and sneak past her classmates. While she remained out of sight, she was still within ear-shot of their hushed conversations.

"When did she get pregnant?"

"Who is the father? Did he leave her?"

"I didn't even know she had a boyfriend!"

"This is some real Scarlet Letter shit right here."

"I didn't think she was this type of girl."

Marinette tried in vain to keep their voices out of her head. She was shocked! These people, her friends, were talking behind her back and judging her for what they didn't understand. How could they? She had always tried her best to be as kind as possible to them, and this is how they repay her?

When she got out of the school, she didn't stop running until she got home. Tom and Sabine, who had been busy working, dropped their baking immediately when they saw their daughter's tears.

"Marinette, honey, what's wrong?" Sabine asked as she wrapped her arms around her shaking daughter.

"They know, Mom," Marinette sobbed. "They all know!"

"Oh no, sweetheart," her mother whispered. She stroked Marinette's head, but it wasn't calming the young mother down at all.

"They were all talking about it, Mom. It was like they didn't even care what I had to say."

"Teenagers are attracted to gossip like moths to a flame, and this kind of news tends to set their world ablaze," Sabine murmured.

"I knew they would learn eventually, but I wasn't ready. I needed more time, Mom!"

"Life doesn't always wait for us, Mari. It has its own agenda. You never know, this could be for the best."

"My friends think I'm a whore, Mom, how is any of this for the best?" Marinette cried. Upon hearing such a vulgar word come from his sweet little girl, Tom took an involuntary step back. How could the world be so cruel to his innocent daughter? He had felt so conflicted over how to handle this unknown situation. He knew that he had not been the kindest or the most sympathetic when Marinette revealed her pregnancy. However, this bullying had snapped him back to his senses. Marinette was his baby, and no one was allowed to hurt her.

"I knew something like this would happen," Tom mumbled. Sabine's head snapped up and Marinette stopped her sobbing to look up at the man who hadn't said more than a couple sentences to her over the past few weeks.

"Tom!" Sabine hissed.

"No, Sabine, this is wrong. This pregnancy is going to be the most difficult thing our daughter has ever done, and there is no reason that she needs to suffer any more than she has to."

"Well of course she doesn't need to suffer, Tom, but we can't shield her from the judgement of the outside world!"

"We'll send her to a different school! There are private schools that are more accommodating to girls in this kind of situation, and I think that she would really benefit from the extra support."

"We won't be helping her if we take her away from her friends! She needs…" Sabine started, but Marinette stepped out of her mother's embrace to speak up.

"My friends have made their intentions quite clear," she stated. "They chose not to be my friends by assuming the worst in me when I have done nothing but show them kindness." Sabine was taken aback by her daughter's words.

"Marinette, you can't possibly…"

"I want to switch schools."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

To say that Alya was pissed was the understatement of the year. Obviously, she knew that the teenagers at school would gossip a little. They simply couldn't help themselves. Hell, she was probably one of the worst gossips in the school! However, Marinette's pregnancy was no laughing matter. The kids at school were being immature, annoying, and cruel. Alya was not planning on being a do-nothing bystander to her best friend's humiliation. She waited at the sidewalk in front of the school for Marinette, ready to fight whoever even so much as glanced their way.

Marinette, on the other hand, had never felt more vulnerable. She was reluctant to even go back to the school, but she had to go for one last day to get the headmaster's signature on her transfer slip. She did her best to keep her breath easy and slow as she walked to school to keep the baby under control, but her nerves were starting to get the best of her. Marinette had never been one to keep her feelings in check, and it was even more difficult when mixed with gossipy jerks and hormones.

'One more day, Marinette. Then you're off to Paris Preparatory. They have girls like you, and you'll fit in. You just have to survive today,' Marinette told herself. As she approached the building, she saw her best friend standing there with a soft smile. Marinette smiled, but she was pushing back tears. How would she go to a school without Alya? How was she even going to tell Alya that she was leaving?

"Hey, Mari," Alya said. She enveloped the smaller girl in a hug and waited until Marinette hugged back.

"Hi, Alya." Marinette pulled away from the hug and kept her eyes on the floor.

"Are you doing okay?" Alya asked, but then she shook her head. "Of course you're not okay, I'm sorry. But are you at least surviving? Hanging in there?"

"I guess."

The two girls continued their small talk, and Marinette continued avoiding her best friend's gaze. She had to tell Alya sometime, but she was going to stall as long as she possibly could. She had never realized the effect that this baby was going to have on her personal life. Marinette had started mentally preparing for the physical changes, but never had she predicted that she might lose her friends. She was starting to get frustrated. Was this all really going to be worth it in the end? What if they failed? Then, Marinette would literally be left with nothing. No Paris, no friends, no Ladybug. All she would have would be a baby that she probably couldn't take care of anyway.

As they were conversing, Adrien's limo pulled up to the school. He got out and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Marinette. He was afraid that she would never come back. He quietly got out of the car and stood a few feet away from them so he could eavesdrop without looking suspicious.

"Listen, Alya, I have something I need to tell you," Marinette murmured. Her voice was only just above a whisper, and Adrien strained to hear it. "My dad… He doesn't think that this school is going to work for me."

"What are you talking about? You have to come to school, Marinette. And you have me here! No one is going to talk shit about you on my watch, I promise."

"I know, Alya, I believe you. But my dad looked into it, and he found a school that has other girls… there are other girls at the school that are like me. And I think it will just be easier if I'm not the only one, you know?"

"Are you kidding me?" Adrien exclaimed unintentionally. Marinette couldn't switch schools! He was responsible for her safety now, and he had to be there for her. The thought of something happening to her without him to save her was too much for Adrien to digest. This child was Paris's last hope, and it was his child. There was no way in hell that Adrien was going to let her leave.

A shocked Marinette jumped around and found herself face-to-face with her crush, who looked angrier than she had ever seen him.

"A-Adrien! What's wrong?" Marinette stuttered. She took a step back from the fuming guy in front of her and Alya put a protective hand on her friend's shoulder.

"You can't be serious, Marinette! You can't just switch schools just because of Chloe, that's absurd!" Adrien yelled. In the midst of his anger, he even didn't notice the way that Marinette shied away from him. But Alya did. That was the last straw. While she wasn't thrilled about the idea of Marinette leaving, she knew that standing up for her friend was more important.

"If you haven't noticed, Pretty Boy, it's not just Chloe that's the problem. Everyone at this school has been unsupportive. And why do you even care? Don't you think that she has enough people judging her for her choices?" Alya fought back. She was extremely intimidating, but Adrien was not about to back down. There was too much at stake for him to shrink back into his normal passive attitude.

"Marinette's friends are here, and she needs them," he argued. He was really only speaking about himself, but he knew that he had to be careful not to blow his cover.

"Her 'friends' are the ones that are the ones that are being selfish and uncaring jerks. If she says that she'll be better off with some fresh faces, then that's what she needs. Just take that opinion of yours and shove it up your…"

"Hey!" Marinette interrupted. She wasn't the type to get in the middle of an argument, but this had been going on for too long. What was wrong with Adrien? Just a few weeks ago, he barely ever looked in her direction. Why was he suddenly like her shadow? Why did he care if she left?

"Just stop it, you guys. I'm switching schools after today, and that's final." She turned to Adrien. "Thanks for your input," she told him with more finality in her voice than she thought possible. Then, she turned around, grabbed Alya's hand, and promptly started walking to class. Marinette was surprised that she had been able to confront the boy she had liked for so long with that kind of confidence. Maybe there was a lesson to be learned from this. If he was going to be just like everyone else and judge her, then maybe he wasn't worth her affections.

Adrien stormed into his house and slammed the door when school was finished. Marinette hadn't even so much as looked in his direction since that morning, and it was driving him crazy. He needed to be there for her, and she was not making his job easy. Adrien knew that he wouldn't be able to handle Marinette attending a different school, and she obviously had her mind set on leaving.

Suddenly, Adrien got an idea. He raced down the hall towards Natalie's office. He almost ran straight into a maid along the way, but it didn't slow him down. When he got there, he didn't even bother knocking on the door. He burst in unannounced, and it almost scared the poor secretary to death. It also scared Gabriel Agreste, who had been speaking with Natalie about his newest fashion line. Adrien was surprised to see his father there, but he it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. This way, he would be killing two birds with one stone.

"Natalie, Father, I have something to ask," Adrien started. His father raised his eyebrows, and Adrien took that as a sign to continue. "I was doing some research, and I believe that there is a school that would be a better fit for me. Paris Preparatory school has a fantastic curriculum, and I think that I would benefit from their instruction."

"What? Adrien, what are you talking about? You begged me to go to the school you are in now, and it took a lot of bargaining with Chloe's father to get you in halfway through the year." Gabriel argued.

"Please, Dad, I think that I will get a better education if I switch," Adrien lied.

"I can buy you the best teachers money can buy. If you feel like your current education is too inferior for your liking, then you can go back to being homeschooled. I refuse to let you go to another school," Gabriel decided. Adrien knew that there was no point in arguing, it was final.

"Never mind, Father, don't worry about it," Adrien said, defeated.

When Adrien got back into his room, he sighed and flopped on his bed. He had just found out that Marinette was secretly the love of his life, and he was already going to lose her. What a great guardian he was being.

Plagg tried to let Adrien sulk in silence, but he couldn't take it anymore. This kid was being the cause of his own demise, and Adrien was not even going to do anything about it. Plagg often did his best to let the boy come to his own conclusions, but it seemed like the blonde needed a jump-start to the brain. He flew out of Adrien's shirt pocket and right up next to his ear.

"Get up."

"No, Plagg, it's over."

"Get up."

"Knock off, would you?" Adrien said. He pushed the kwami out of the way, but Plagg returned to his original position.

"Adrien, you're not helping the situation by crying about it."

"Hey, I'm not crying! There's nothing I can do to fix this. She's leaving and I can't go with her. She won't listen to me." He turned over on his side so that he was no longer facing Plagg.

"Maybe she won't listen to you, because you've done nothing to earn her trust," Plagg insinuated.

"What are you talking about?"

"Jeez, kid, how are you so blind? You have the gift of two identities! Use it!" Plagg exclaimed. "Marinette is Ladybug, and Ladybug trusts no one more than Chat Noir. She might listen to what he has to say."

Almost instantly, Adrien was out of bed and on his feet. How had he not thought of this? With any luck, he could convince Marinette to stay if he asked her as Chat.

"Plagg, claws out!"

Chat Noir raced through the streets of Paris with a vengeance, following the route he had memorized from his many late night visits to the girl. When he arrived at his destination, Chat wasted no time with pleasantries and went straight through Marinette's open window.

"Marinette, you cannot change schools!"

"Chat, what are you saying?" Marinette asked, throwing her hand over her heart to catch her breath. She hadn't been expecting the presence of her partner anytime soon, and had been scared to death when he burst in.

"Please don't go to Paris Preparatory. Stay at your old school, Mari," Chat pleaded.

"Chat, why do you care where I go to school? Why is this any of your business?" Marinette sat down on her lounge and looked at the hero with obvious confusion. Chat ran his hands through his hair and sighed.

"I wish I could tell you, I really do," was all he said. The girl just shook her head in response.

"You don't know what went on there yesterday. If you had been there, you'd understand," Marinette started.

"You have no idea," Chat thought to himself. The girl continued.

"My… well, they used to be my friends, all started turning their backs on me. No one was interested in hearing my side of the story. I felt so ashamed! I just want to go somewhere where the other students won't treat me as if I'm some kind of freak."

"You're not a freak, Marinette. If they knew the reason behind all of this, they'd be the ones who felt ashamed. You knew that this would be difficult from the start, and yet you still went through with it. You're so incredibly brave. That's how I know you can stand up to a couple of bullies."

Marinette blushed upon hearing such compliments come from Chat. It was really convincing, and it took everything in her to not give in to his pleading green eyes.

"I appreciate your words, Chat. But I just don't think it is possible for me to go back. I would be so stressed and uneasy, and it would cause this baby to do who-knows-what to my classmates. I already burned Chloe with chemicals and broke half of the lights in the hallway! The school doesn't have it in their budget to deal with this bomb in my stomach."

"Please, Marinette. Give it one more day. If you still feel like you have to leave after that, then I will support your decision. But just give it one more chance, alright? Do you trust me?" Chat Noir asked.

Marinette still had no clue why Chat Noir cared so much about where she went to school, but he brought up a good point. If there was anyone she needed to trust in this situation, it was Chat Noir. Even though it didn't always seem like it, he was just as involved in this as she was, and he deserved her trust.

"Alright. I'll give it one more day."


	11. Chapter 11

Adrien had one more chance, and he sure as hell wasn't going to waste it. He knew that he could do everything in his power to help Marinette the next day at school, but it wouldn't make an ounce of difference as long as his peers still went and talked behind Marinette's back. No act of chivalry would mask the gossip. Adrien had no choice; he had to nip this problem in the bud.

Now, Adrien's mind was filled with things that he would love to say to those jerks, but he needed to stay on their good side. Besides, everyone in school knew him as a pretty docile guy. Adrien needed to make sure he kept his Chat persona as far away from his Adrien one as possible, or else people might get suspicious. No, he couldn't go and tell off his peers without raising any suspicions. He needed backup, and he knew there was only one girl for the job.

Alya was shocked when she looked at her caller ID. Why on earth was he calling her? Hell, she had no idea that the Agreste boy even had her number! Nonetheless, she picked up her phone on the second ring. Adrien had been acting so strangely at school, and maybe she could get some information out of him.

"Hello?" Alya answered.

"Hey, Alya, it's Adrien. How are you?" Adrien asked casually.

"Um, I'm good, I guess. What's up?"

"I was calling to talk about Marinette," Adrien started. Alya almost fell out of her chair. This was too good! Her best friend's crush was calling to talk about Marinette? She would go nuts! Alya was definitely going to have to call Mari after this. But before the wheels in her head could keep turning, Adrien continued.

"I would bet that you're pretty unhappy about Marinette moving schools, right?"

"Yeah, of course I want her to stay, but you could see how unhappy she was. I just want what's best for her," Alya stated.

"I think it would be best for her to stay around her friends."

"Well, obviously, but she seems to think otherwise. I don't think she can handle people gossiping about her." Alya sighed, believing it all to be a lost cause. Why did Agreste even care so much?

"Then we need to stop the gossip!" Adrien exclaimed. Alya had to stifle a laugh.

"Come again? Adrien, Marinette is pregnant. With some mystery guy's baby, nonetheless! People don't just let these things go; I would know! How the hell would we get people to stop talking about that?"

"C'mon Alya," Adrien said. "Marinette is probably the kindest girl in the entire school. Everyone loves her! We just have to get them to empathize and show them how hurtful they're being."

"As much as I would love that, Marinette has already made up her mind. She got the form signed and everything, and she starts at her new school next week. It's too late, Adrien."

"Not quite," Adrien pointed out. What on earth was he talking about? Why was he being so persistent? The aspiring journalist in Alya was bursting at the seams, and if she wasn't careful she would go into full interrogation mode. But this was about more than Alya's personal satisfaction. This was about Marinette. And if Marinette's long time crush was finally showing interest in the girl, Alya wanted to make sure not to jinx it.

"What do you mean, Agreste?"

"I talked to her…. I mean, I heard that she was giving it one more day at school. We have one more chance." Adrien explained.

"How… Who?" Alya stammered. "Who convinced her to give it one more day? Even I couldn't talk her into that!"

"Uh, I don't know exactly. All I know is that we have to get everyone back on Marinette's side, and fast."

"Alright, you've got me. I'm in. What's the plan?"

Barely one hour later, their entire class was sitting in Alya's living room, minus Chloe and Marinette, of course. Alya and Adrien had immediately gotten to work calling everyone they knew. Even though many students had been busy, they had been convinced to come when they heard it was about Marinette. Most of them had come for their own selfish reasons, as they hoped to learn the juicy details about the girl's mysterious situation. However, upon arriving and seeing the look of frustration on Alya's face, they realized that they might be in for more than they bargained for.

Surprisingly, no one said a word at first. The tension in the room was obvious, but no one wanted to feel Alya's wrath. Once the last two people, Ivan and Mylène, arrived, Adrien stood up from the armchair he had been occupying.

"Thank you all for coming," Adrien announced. "I realize that this isn't the most opportune time, but this conversation really couldn't wait." A few people nodded, but most stayed quiet. That is, until Kim spoke up.

"I had to miss swim practice for this, can we hurry it up? I don't mean to brag, but I'm the star…" he started, but he never got to finish.

"Take a moment to think about someone other than yourself, Kim!" Alya snapped. She stood up in a confrontational manner, but Adrien pushed her back down into the couch.

"In respect of everyone's time, I'll try to keep this brief," Adrien continued, nodding at Kim. "But only if you guys promise to respect our wishes." He looked around the room for any objections, and was pleasantly surprised to see none. "I asked you all to come here because I want to talk about what happened to Marinette today."

Immediately, the quiet room erupted. Everyone had turned to their neighbor and started blatantly whispering about the poor girl again. And they did not hold back their judgmental comments. This angered Adrien to no end. He could not just sit by while his "friends" bad-mouthed the mother of his child. However, losing his temper would be too risky. Instead, he just nodded at Alya. The girl wasted no time, stepped onto the coffee table, and yelled.

"EXCUSE ME!" Everyone stopped their whispering, and a startled Rose dropped the glass of water that she had been holding with a squeal. "Do you guys hear yourselves? How insensitive can you be? This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng we're talking about, and I will not stand here and listen to you all talk shit about her!"

A wave of guilt passed over the faces of almost everyone there. Unsurprisingly, Sabrina seemed to lack the capacity to be sorry due to the fact that she had been brainwashed by Chloe.

"It's her own fault that she got knocked up!" the redhead squeaked. "She can't seriously have expected people not to gossip!" Adrien growled and whipped around to face Sabrina.

"Are you kidding me? What is wrong with you? What happens in Marinette's personal life is none of your business, you little…" Adrien lashed out.

"ALRIGHT!" Alya screamed, effectively stopping Adrien's strange rampage. She gave the blonde a questioning look before continuing. "I know that this is all really weird, and it is really hard to not want to figure it all out. Trust me, I get it. But we have to think about what we're doing. Every time you go behind Marinette's back and gossip, you're hurting her. Her situation is already difficult enough, don't you think?" Alya could see that people were starting to think about what they had done, but she knew she had to drive the point home. And that meant that it had to get personal.

"Alix," Alya started. The pink haired girl looked up, surprised to be singled out. "Who was there to take you to the hospital when you broke your wrist rollerblading?"

"Marinette was," Alix replied. Alya turned to Sabrina next.

"Sabrina? Who helped you when you were overloaded with Chloe's homework, as well as your own? Who stayed with you at the library until two in the morning?"

"It was Marinette," Sabrina mumbled, dropping her gaze into her lap.

"Ivan and Mylène, isn't Marinette the entire reason you guys got together in the first place?" Alya questioned. The two nodded, sharing an affectionate look with each other. "I know that Marinette has touched each and every one of our lives. She's the reason that I have Nino right now," Alya smiled. "Don't you guys see? Marinette has been there for us without fail, and now she needs you guys to return the favor. Do you all really want her to switch schools?"

A resounding "no" echoed through the room. Adrien gave Alya a small smile and then turned to face the room.

"We have one more chance to show Marinette that we are going to support her, and I know that with your help, we can show her that she belongs with her friends," Adrien said confidently.

The next day, Marinette struggled to find the will to get out of her bed. She really loathed the idea of listening to her old friends talk crap behind her back, but she made a promise to Chat to give it one more go. She swung her legs over the side of her bed, and let out a heavy sigh. She had been feeling extra tired lately, and it seemed as though she couldn't get enough sleep. She trudged over to her vanity and looked at the bottle of vitamins that had revealed her secret to the world. Marinette knew that her friends would find out eventually, but she had been hoping for a few more weeks to get her bearings.

'Oh well. The chat's out of the bag now,' Marinette giggled to herself before swallowing her pills. She got dressed and put on her shoes before making her way downstairs. Her parents were busy in the bakery already, prepping for the breakfast rush. They didn't know that she was going to school for one more day, and Marinette really didn't feel like explaining. Instead, she wrote out a note and left it on the island.

She made her way out of the door and was surprised to find Kim and Alix waiting just , she spotted them after running straight into Kim's chest.

"Oh!" Marinette exclaimed, and apologized profusely. "Are you guys waiting for the bakery? It doesn't open for another half hour, but I can grab…" Kim just laughed in response, and Alix stepped forward.

"Nah, we're not here for the bakery," Alix explained. "We just thought we would walk with you to school."

"Oh, um… that's so sweet of you," Marinette stuttered. Why were Alix and Kim being so nice? "Don't you guys usually roller blade? Please, don't let me slow you down."

"Well that would be rude of us, especially since we already told you we were walking you to school," Kim stated. "We also wanted to say sorry for… yesterday. That was really not cool of us."

"Yeah," Alix added. "Your situation is sucky enough without your friends making a huge deal about it." Marinette looked between her two friends, and she almost started tearing up on the spot. She pulled them into a group hug and smiled. But what caused their change of heart?

"Thank you, guys, that means a lot," Marinette answered. Kim smiled back and then looked at his watch.

"I know you're used to being late, Mari, but we better get started if we want to make it before the tardy bell."

"Of course, lead the way!_

The strange behavior didn't stop there. Everywhere Marinette turned, one of her friends was doing something nice for her. First, Ivan helped her reach the textbooks on the top shelf of her locker, when she usually had to secretly send Tikki out to give them a push. When Marinette accidentally dropped her sack lunch into the dirt, Juleka offered to split her own lunch with Mari. And most shockingly, Adrien hadn't left her side all morning (Which explained why she had been such a clumsy mess!). He had been waiting by her seat when she arrived in the morning, and offered her a fresh blueberry muffin made by his personal chef. He claimed that the chef had made extras, but Marinette wasn't so sure. Then, as she was moving to go to physics, he offered to carry her bag for her. Since that was the bag where Tikki currently resided, she had to decline, but the gesture itself made her swoon.

Mari was thrilled at the attention she was getting from her biggest crush, but it felt a little weird to her. After all, she was having someone else's baby. She wasn't romantically bound to Chat in any way, right? She wasn't even planning on keeping the baby. She had been thinking more and more about Master Fu's offer, and she had been heavily considering it. Just because she had to make this sacrifice for Paris's sake didn't mean she had to change her entire future. She hated keeping it a secret from Chat, especially since he had been so supportive. Still, she dreaded the thought of bringing up that conversation. Chat had seemed excited about the baby, and Marinette had no idea how he'd react.

Anyway, what was making everyone be so nice to her all of the sudden? When she approached Alya about it, the brown-haired girl just smiled and winked. Did Alya talk to everyone? Marinette found that to be the most likely solution, but she had no idea how her best friend worked this kind of miracle. Had Alya threatened them?

The biggest surprise of the day happened at the end. Somehow, Marinette had managed to avoid Chloe all day. That was truly a first! It almost seemed as if her classmates were distracting the blonde whenever she would usually come to torment Marinette. Unfortunately, most people had gone home when Marinette finally made her way to the exit of the school. She had started to feel a bit sick and rushed herself to the bathroom, where she dry-heaved for a good fifteen minutes. When she had emerged from the stall, she ran into Chloe and Sabrina reapplying their makeup. Marinette resisted the urge to leave the bathroom without washing her hands and tried to avoid the blonde's relentless gaze.

"Well if it isn't our own little mommy!" Chloe started. "Too bad there isn't a daddy in the picture. I'm not surprised, though. I'm sure he ditched you when he realized what an annoying little tramp you are," she laughed. Marinette's cheeks started to flare and she worried that the lights in the bathroom would burst any second. Chloe had begun another series of taunts when Sabrina stepped in between the two girls.

"Enough!" the redhead yelled. Chloe turned to her friend and scoffed.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Chloe. Just leave her alone, won't you?" Chloe glared at Sabrina, but Sabrina refused to back down. Obviously embarrassed that her backup had turned against her, Chloe left in a huff. Marinette mumbled a shocked "thanks" to Sabrina before the redhead left to follow Chloe.

"What the hell has gotten in to everyone?"

That night, Marinette heard a knock on the trapdoor to her balcony. Unsurprisingly, Chat Noir was the one on the other side. She moved aside and he let himself in and found a comfy spot on her lounge.

"So, how was school?" Chat asked. Of course, he knew exactly how it went, but he wanted to hear it from her.

"It was… really nice," Marinette admitted. "I don't know why everyone had a change of heart, but you were right, Chat."

"Really, I was right?" he joked. "Music to my ears, my lady!" Marinette giggled.

"Oh hush, Kitty. Statistically, it had to happen sometime!"

Chat put a hand over his heart, feigning pain. "You wound me, Purr-incess!"

The two shared a smile and Chat moved over to sit on the bed next to Marinette. She almost instinctively moved away, but she caught herself before she did. As Ladybug, she did everything she could to refuse Chat's endless advances. But now, she didn't find it so annoying.

"How are you doing?" Chat asked, grabbing one of Marinette's hands in his own.

"Not terrible, I guess. I think some morning sickness has started, though. It's weird. It makes it all seem real," Marinette said softly. Chat gave her hand a squeeze.

"It is real, Mari. We're going to be parents," he told her. When he heard the girl take in a sharp, nervous breath, he gently raised her head to meet his gaze. "But it's okay. I'm here for you, every step of the way. I promise."

Marinette found herself getting lost in Chat's green eyes and sweet words. How had this silly kitty suddenly become so mature? His words only worsened the guilt in her heart. He really wanted them to be parents? How was she ever going to break the news? Chat could still be the baby's father, but Marinette didn't really want to raise the kid. Didn't Chat have his own dreams for his future?

Marinette could feel herself getting stressed and worried about the baby going berserk. But before anything could happen, Chat had started running his hands through her hair, effectively calming her down. Before she knew it, her eyelids were starting to droop and she couldn't sit up anymore. Chat gave her one last smile before standing up.

"Ah, I guess that is my cue to leave," he stated, giving her a small salute. He was almost out the door when Marinette stopped him.

"Chat, wait!"

The blonde hero stopped in his tracks and turned to face the beautiful, tired girl.

Now, Marinette had no idea what came over her. Maybe it was insanity, or maybe it was hormones. All she knew is that she really didn't want him to leave.

"Stay."

And that word was the undoing of one very lovestruck Chat Noir.

 **Thank you for reading! Sorry for any mistakes, I plan to go over and edit a lot later. I just wanted to get some material to you guys while I was inspired :)**


	12. Chapter 12

Despite all of the pregnancy hardships she had to face, the next few weeks went surprisingly well for Marinette. Her friends were being super supportive of her, but thankfully they had toned it down just a little. Marinette wasn't used to all of the attention, and she was grateful when things just started to go back to normal. Still, two things had really seemed to change for the better. Chloe had been avoiding Marinette for the time being, which was fine by Mari. She never realized just how much Chloe's bullying affected her until it stopped. Now, thanks to that lack of stress, she was much more easygoing. And that helped with change number two, which was Adrien. He had started to become really close with Marinette, and could be found at her side whenever they were in school. Luckily, her confidence had skyrocketed since the end of Chloe's torments, and Marinette could now have conversations with the blonde boy without stammering. She was pleasantly surprised by him. He was insanely understanding, sweet, and caring, and it was making Marinette fall harder than ever.

As a result, she was feeling even more guilty about Chat. He seemed to be trying to pursue her romantically, but she couldn't get Adrien out of her head. She had to admit, after getting to know them both, they had a lot of similarities. Both of them cared immensely about Marinette and were both very supportive about the baby. Both guys liked puns and had a sense of humor, although Chat's jokes were mostly feline-related. But only one boy made her heart flutter, and that was Adrien.

" _What a cruel twist of fate,_ " Marinette thought. " _I finally get attention from the boy I love, but only after I am carrying another's child._ " There was no way Adrien could want Marinette romantically, especially since she was now tied to a baby. She hadn't told him that she planned on letting someone else adopt her baby, because she still hasn't told a soul, and she felt that Chat Noir deserved to know before anyone else. However, she wanted to tell Adrien so that if there was any chance he would like her as more than a friend that he could act upon it before they graduated.

She had a few more doctor's appointments to attend, which she made sure to always be early for. Marinette found that if she let herself get acclimated to the doctor's office that she would be less stressed and less likely to let the baby blow up more laptops. So far, everything had been going as well as it could. The baby was healthy and progressing at a rate that the doctor said was normal. Marinette was thankful for this, because she had been afraid that this divine fetus would have been abnormal in every way. Luckily, it seemed to develop like a normal human child.

Marinette had begun to look forward to her appointments, because that meant that she got to go shopping with her mom afterwards. The two of them had gotten some hats, some stuffed animals, and some onesies for the future baby, and most of them were cat-themed. Sabine kept telling Marinette to start buying other necessities, like strollers and car seats, but Marinette had kept stalling. She hadn't told her mom about the adoption yet, and she wasn't sure how to bring it up.

Regardless of those few hardships, life was good. That was, until the akumas made their reappearance.

Marinette was watching the news with her family one night when the words "BREAKING NEWS" flashed across the screen. The reporter on the screen looked grim, and Marinette knew exactly what was going on.

"Tragedy has struck Paris, yet again. Another akuma attack has been spotted just East of the Eiffel Tower. This villain, calling himself the Actorator, seems to have the power to turn civilians into actors in his 'production'. The mayor has instructed all Parisians to stay home and lock the doors. This has been…"

Marinette didn't wait for the reporter to finish before racing up to her room. As soon as the door has closed, Tikki flew out of her hiding space.

"Marinette, you better not be doing what I think you're doing," the kwami warned. The girl groaned in frustration. She was about to fight back when a familiar black cat came crashing through her trapdoor.

"Chat Noir!" Marinette exclaimed. "Are you crazy? Why are you here?"

"Because I knew that if I didn't see you now that I would see you in a few minutes anyway."

"That's because Paris needs the both of us as a team!" Marinette stood up straighter and looked Chat straight in the eyes.

"This shouldn't even be a debate, Mari! You are pregnant. You cannot put that baby in danger for just another akuma," Adrien deadpanned. Marinette knew that he was right, but her head felt all cloudy with anger. The lights in her room started to flicker, and Chat could hear the furnace working overtime.

"Promise me that you'll stay in, Marinette. I won't leave until you do," Chat stated.

"But you need to go now!"

"Exactly. Just promise me that you'll stay put, and I'll be on my way."

"Ugh! Fine!" Marinette spat. "I'll stay put. Now just go, alright?" She glared at Chat Noir, and he tried his best not to show how much her anger hurt him as he flew out.

With a huff, Marinette slumped down on her bed. She had never been so mad at Chat Noir! She knew that her hormones played a big part in that, but she couldn't help it. However, her anger was quickly replaced by fear and she turned her computer on and found the live news report. Then, Mari said a silent prayer for Chat Noir as she watched him take on this villain on his own.

* * *

HawkMoth was growing increasingly frustrated at the situation. The Actorator was faring well against Chat Noir, but Ladybug was nowhere to be found. Did she not feel like this villain was worth showing up for? He needed both miraculouses if he wanted to bring his Emilie back. What if Ladybug had quit? If the heroine never showed her face again, he had no chance of getting the Miraculous of Creation! If he wanted the girl to show up, he was going to have to hit her where it hurt; her partner.

* * *

Chat Noir lived for fighting akumas. He loved the way he felt as Chat; strong, confident, and free. Even though there was the chance of great tragedy every time someone got akumatized, he loved the adrenaline rush. Unfortunately, it seemed as though the villains were getting stronger. Each time someone new came to terrorize Paris, smaller the margin was for his victory. He couldn't help but wonder how much longer it would be until he finally met his match. He was skilled, but without Ladybug he was only half of a whole. But Chat knew that he couldn't give up. Paris needed him. Marinette needed him.

Chat Noir channeled that energy as he approached the Actorator. The man was sending little paper airplanes towards civilians rapidly, effectively turning them into his theatrical minions. They were running around and quoting lines from famous Broadway shows and Shakespeare's works. If it wasn't causing mass chaos in the streets of his city, Chat Noir would have laughed at the spectacle.

"Getting a little old for make believe, aren't you?" Chat called out to the villain. The Actorator flipped his head around and sneered at the blonde hero.

"Theatre is how we remember the past! It is how we prepare for the future! Nothing can match the cathartic relief that comes through acting!" Actorator spoke.

"Let me set the stage for you, Mr. Melodramatic!" Chat teased. "You're going to let all of these innocent civilians go and get back to your own life!"

"Never! I will make everyone appreciate the dramatic arts!"

"Then you give me no choice. Let's dance!" Chat called.

He extended his staff and launched himself at the Actorator's face, effectively swiping his cheek with his claws. The villain cried out in pain and launched a missile-shaped piece of his script at Chat Noir. The hero narrowly dodged the projectile and did a back handspring over the stage that the Actorator had been performing on. The villain snarled and sent missile after missile at Chat. Chat was avoiding them as best as he could, until he misstepped and fell straight into some of the Actorator's minions. They all grabbed at his arms and restrained him until he could no longer move.

"Let me go!" Chat growled, but to no avail. The Actorator just laughed maniacally.

"What do we have here? You, sir, have no appreciation for my art! I bet your leading lady would appreciate some theatrics, non?" He grabbed Chat Noir by the chin and forced the young man to look into his eyes. Chat responded my spitting into the villain's face.

"Leave Ladybug out of this!" Chat snapped.

"Ah, but that is not up to me, young man. We must bring her here so I can take both miraculouses and continue to share the arts with Paris! And what better way to attract a young lady than to play out a famous romance!"

"You're demented," Chat growled. "Ladybug, please stay out of this!"

"No, Romeo, you're the one who will be crazy without your Juliet!" was the last thing the Actorator said before took a page of his script and sent it straight towards Chat's heart.

* * *

"No!" Marinette yelled, grabbing the edges of her computer screen. "No, no, no!" She watched in horror as Chat Noir's eyes glazed over, and he looked straight into the reporter's camera.

"How sweet is love itself possessed, when but love's shadows are so rich in joy!" Chat called, quoting Shakespeare's most famous work. "If my Juliet does not appear soon, I will know that she is dead. Ladybug, please don't break my heart!"

"Come on, Chat, snap out of it!" she cried. When the blonde continued to quote Romeo and Juliet, she knew it was a lost cause. By this point, Tikki had flown out to join Marinette in watching the reports.

"Tikki, I have to go help him!"

"But Marinette, you made a promise! While he is a little incapacitated, it doesn't look like he's getting hurt. Maybe just wait a little longer," Tikki suggested. "I bet by then he can get it under control."

Then everything took a turn for the worse. Chat turned towards the crowd and opened his arms in desperation.

"It appears as though my Ladybug is not going to come. Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight. Oh, here will I set up my everlasting rest," he announced. Then, he began climbing the Eiffel Tower.

"Oh my God, Tikki! He's going to jump! He's going to pull a Romeo and kill himself because he believes me to be dead! That's it!" Marinette decided. "Tikki, spots on!"

Reluctantly, the kwami fulfilled her duty. And with that, Ladybug was off. She flew through the city, ignoring the nausea that came over her. Honestly? She didn't even notice it. All of her focus was on saving Chat. She had just approached the tower when a bloodcurdling scream fell over the spectators. Chat had jumped.

Ladybug wasted no time. She jumped through the crowd, apathetic to the fact that she had just pushed innocent people to the ground. Chat was already halfway to the ground when she sent her yo-yo around the tower. She leapt into the air, reaching her arm out and sent out a little prayer. To her relief, she caught the boy in her arms just twenty feet from the ground. When they collided, his arm smashed into her stomach, sending immense pain to her abdomen. She sent out a small yelp of pain but made sure to hold Chat tightly until they were safely on the ground.

Chat groaned at the impact and looked up at the figure who was holding him. Then, it felt as if a fog had been lifted from his brain. He was staring up at his lady… his pregnant lady. Who had promised to stay out of the fight. He glanced at her arm, which was now tightly clenched around her stomach. He immediately saw red. The Actorator, who had been immersed in the scene unfolding before him, barely had time to snap out of his trance before getting punched directly in the face.

"You are going to pay," Chat said in a deep voice. He threw punch after punch with a fury that he had never expressed before. The poor villain was no match for his rage.

Ladybug was starting to get worried about the growing pain in her abdomen, and she hated seeing Chat so angry. She activated her Lucky Charm with the rest of her strength and was rewarded with a single match. Huh? She observed as the Actorator was deflecting Chat's punches by ripping pages out of his script to use as projectiles. Chat knew that the akuma was in the script and was trying to destroy it with his claws. That's when Ladybug figured it out.

"Chat, you can't break the akuma by ripping the script! It has to be burned!" Ladybug yelled. She scraped the match around the edge of the brick building next to her and lit it. Next, she grabbed the Actorator's wrist and flew over to him. With a swift kick to the elbow, she got him to drop his precious, deadly script. Finally, she flicked the match onto the paper and watched as it caught fire.

"No!" The Actorator yelled. By the time he reached it, it was just a pile of ashes. Ladybug collected the akuma and de-evilized it, but she didn't stick around. She jumped over the streets of Paris, trying to make it back home before her parents realized that she was gone. She was very aware of the blonde following her, but she chose to ignore him until she reached her balcony. As soon as she made it, her earrings sounded their final beep and she transformed back into Marinette. Chat Noir landed on her balcony, but he didn't say a word. It ended up being Marinette who decided to break the silence.

"Well? Aren't you going to berate me? Yell at me or breaking my promise?" Marinette asked, half expecting the boy to burst into flames of anger. Instead, he closed the space between them and held her close.

"No. As much as I hate what happened, thank you for saving me," he said softly.

"Huh? You're not mad?"

"No, I'm pissed. I'm pissed at the Actorator for taking away my free will and forcing you into the situation. I'm pissed at HawkMoth for being the scum of the earth. But no, Princess, I'm not mad at you for saving my life."

That's when Marinette started to cry. She didn't deserve to have someone like Chat in her life. He was too good for his own good. He was far too good for her, the girl that wanted to give his baby away to someone else but was too scared to tell him. She returned his hug, sobbing into his suit. The tears rolled off of the leather as Chat stroked her hair and spoke soothing words to her. He went to squeeze her gently, but he noticed when she winced at the extra contact.

"My lady? What's wrong? Are you still hurt?"

"A… a little," Marinette admitted. Actually, in fact, it hurt a lot. She just didn't want Chat Noir to worry as much as she was. He was keeping her steady, and she needed him to stay calm.

"Marinette, you have to go see your doctor! Go get your mom and…"

"No!" Mari yelled. "If my mom knows that I got hurt, especially after an akuma attack when she thought I was safe in my room, she'll get suspicious. I'll just wait it out." She put her foot down, but Chat was having none of it.

"Marinette, this child is more important than a little suspicion! You need a doctor, now! I'm going to take you whether you want to go or not," he decided.

"Chat, if you come with me to the doctor, they're going to know that you're the father, and then I'll be a target!" Marinette argued. She had a point. Chat wanted to make sure that Marinette would be safe from HawkMoth and the media, so he couldn't just accompany her to an emergency Ob-Gyn appointment.

"Well, then we'll go see Master Fu. Maybe he can help," Chat said before he picked up Marinette bridal-style and jumped off of the balcony.

" _Please, please let Marinette and the baby be okay. They're all I have."_

* * *

 **Lots of drama in this one! I hope you guys are enjoying the story! Knowing that you guys like to read it helps motivate me to write! Also, I apologize for any weird formats, I didn't realize that the website takes away indentation, my line breaks, and my italics. I will try to fix this in the future!**

 **Also, important note: I don't think I ever described it in the story, but all of the main characters are 18/19 and in their last year of school. This is important for future plot and it makes me feel a lot better that they're not 14 like they are in the show. If I have conflicting information earlier in the story, shoot me a PM! Thanks for the read!**


	13. Chapter 13

The next hour was the longest hour of Chat Noir's life. He couldn't stand not knowing the fate of his unborn child, which made every second seem like a year. Ladybug wanted to use her yo-yo to travel to Master Fu's, but Chat Noir was having none of it. While he was confident in her abilities, he also knew Marinette's clumsy tendencies and wanted to make sure that she did not put their baby in any more danger. Instead, he had her detransform and he carried her all the way to the old man's house while she wore a hood over her head to protect her identity.

When they finally arrived at Master Fu's, the old man saw the panicked look on the younger man's face and wasted no time. He had Chat Noir put the girl on his sofa then he began his inspection. Chat Noir stood right next to Master Fu with waves of anxiety appearing to roll right off of him. Marinette was just as nervous, and watching Chat Noir panic was not helping. With a sigh, Master Fu turned to the boy.

"Please go wait in the kitchen, Chat Noir. Why don't you take off your disguise and get yourself a cup of tea?"

Chat Noir was aghast. "You want me to leave her? If you think for one moment that I would ever…" he started, but was soon interrupted.

"Do you want me to save this child or not? I need my space to work," Master Fu stated, and Chat Noir left with a huff. He had Plagg detransform him, and then he sat down in one of the wooden chairs in Master Fu's kitchen. He only sat for a few seconds at most. His anxiety got the better of him and he had to pace back and forth to expend the nervous energy.

"Kid," Plagg started. "You have to calm down!" The kwaami flew over to the pacing boy and sat upon his shoulder.

"How am I supposed to calm down, Plagg? It is my fault that this happened. If I had been more capable, I would have stopped the Actorator and Marinette never would have needed to step in. I might have just killed my own unborn child, for God's sake!"

"HawkMoth's villains are getting tougher by the day, Adrien. No one can blame you for needing help. We'll figure this out, I know we will. Plus, Master Fu is the best of the best. If there is anyone that can save that kid, it is him," Plagg said, and Adrien took a deep breath.

"I know. I just feel so guilty. How am I going to single-handedly beat every akumatized villain until this baby is born? Ladybug cannot fight anymore, it is just too dangerous. But if I couldn't even beat some drama king, how am I going to do this all on my own?" Adrien brought up a good point, and Plagg was devastated that he had no ideas for the boy. He couldn't lie; the situation was grim. There had to be some way to fix it, right?

The two sat in silence for another half hour. Adrien finally calmed down enough to make himself some tea, and Plagg raided the Master's fridge for cheese. Occasionally, a sound would come from the other room, usually a whimper from Marinette. Each time he heard the pathetic sound, Adrien wanted to race into the other room and hold her. However, Plagg refused to transform Adrien, and he could not yet reveal his identity to the girl. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Master Fu came through the door and closed it behind him. Adrien stood up and raced over to the man. However, before he could say anything, the old man raised his hand to let Adrien know to be quiet. Reluctantly, Adrien obliged and sat back down.

"I will get straight to the point. The baby is fine," Master Fu began. Adrien exhaled loudly and took a breath for what seemed like the first time in forever. "This time."

"This time? What are you implying?" Adrien questioned.

"This cannot happen again. The baby is strong, and I know it will make a full recovery, but we cannot let this happen again. This baby is our only real hope at defeating HawkMoth, and we do not have the time to try this whole process again."

"Of course, Master Fu. Obviously, Ladybug cannot fight again. I won't let her," Adrien promised.

"I'm glad we agree on this. However, I think we can also agree that today was not just a fluke. Akumatized villains are tricky, and they require more than just one hero to beat."

As much as it hurt Adrien's pride to admit that he could not beat them on his own, he had to agree. "I understand. But who else can fight? Are there other Miraculous holders out there?"

"Yes and no. None that I have any contact with. And, with HawkMoth's current state, I do not think it would be wise to release any more Miraculouses," Master Fu explained.

"Then who else is going to fight? The police in Paris are useless, and we cannot risk the lives of regular civilians!" Exasperated, Adrien walked over to the window and looked out. The sky was gray with the promise of rain, and people were racing to get inside and closing their windows. Of course, now, many people stayed inside even when it was sunny out. With all of the akumas floating about, there was always a chance that a loved one would be taken over. Even without the rain, Paris always seemed to have a gray cloud over it these days.

"There is one more option we have," the old man stated. "Transform and follow me back into the living room, I wish to speak to the both of you." With that, he turned and exited. Eager to learn more, Adrien transformed and rushed to follow him.

When he returned to the living room, Chat was relieved to see Marinette sitting comfortably and drinking water. He raced over to her side and grabbed her hand. He wanted to hug her, but he figured he should try to avoid her stomach for the time being.

"How are you doing, Mari?" he asked gently. Marinette squeezed his hand and smiled at him.

"I'm doing just fine, and so is the baby," she told him.

"Mari, look, I'm so sorry for…" Chat began, but for the second time that day, he was interrupted.

"Don't," Marinette said gently. "I would do it again if I had to. I can't do this without my partner. I need you, Chat. We're a team." Upon hearing those words, Chat's heart melted. He knew that he would never let her put their baby at risk again, but it was nice of her to care for him so much. He had been craving affection from Ladybug for so many years, and now he finally had it. And he was never going to let her go.

The moment ended when Master Fu cleared his throat. "Clearly, we have much to discuss. Ladybug can no longer participate in battles, and Chat cannot safely fight on his own. I predicted this would happen, but it occurred much sooner than I would have liked. HawkMoth is growing stronger at a rapid rate. Obviously, we cannot speed up the pregnancy to allow Ladybug to fight again, so we need to find backup."

"But how can we get backup if there are no other Miraculous users to call on?" Chat questioned.

"Many years ago, I had the idea to make temporary Miraculouses. I started the research, but I was unable to continue when I lost track of the Butterfly Miraculous. However, ever since the start of our plan, I have picked up my studies and I think I have figured it out." Master Fu walked over to a bookcase and pulled out what appeared to be a regular dictionary. However, once opened, the book was hollow and held a golden bracelet. Master Fu took it out of the book and held it up.

"I call this a Semi-Miraculous. A Semiraculous, if you will. Unlike a regular Miraculous, this is not bound to the user in any way. It turns the wearer into a generic hero, giving them extra strength, stamina, and reflexes. They won't have any special abilities, but they will be primed to fight. I think it will provide Chat with just enough help to be able to defeat the akumas."

"Who can we trust to help us, Master Fu?" Marinette asked. "You chose us after months of deliberation. How are you going to pick the wearer?"

"Excellent question, Marinette. As the wearer will not have any special powers, and their extra strength will go away once the bracelet is removed, this decision is not as critical as it would be for a regular Miraculous wearer. The only important thing to consider is how well this person would be able to be a part of a team with Chat. Therefore, I have decided to leave the decision to him."

"You want me to choose who to give this power to?" Chat inquired skeptically. "No offense, Master Fu, but I trust your judgement much more than I trust my own with these types of matters. I don't want to mess this up, especially if this is our last hope."

"I believe this decision should be your own. You have good instincts, Chat Noir. Trust them."

Marinette couldn't help but feel a twang of jealousy. Ladybug and Cat Noir had been fighting crime together for years. While they had their occasional flaws, they were an amazing team. What if this new person was better at fighting crime than her? What if Chat Noir liked them better? Would they be upgraded to a full Miraculous? Would Ladybug not be needed anymore? These intrusive thoughts clouded her mind, and she felt a knot in her stomach. If she didn't stop this now, who knew what the baby would blow up next?

Chat Noir was too distracted to notice Marinette's mood. How could Master Fu trust him to find the next hero of Paris? How would he ever know who would be good at fighting? Even though the Semiraculous was temporary, he had to be careful. If the user revealed their secrets, the news of Ladybug's pregnancy could reach HawkMoth and ruin their whole plan. There was so much pressure on him to make the right choice. Adrien was used to being pressured by his father to be perfect, but there were never any drastic consequences if he failed. Now, the entire city of Paris, the girl he loved, and his unborn child were at stake.

The three conversed for a little while longer before Chat Noir and Marinette left. Chat returned her to her balcony without a word, and Marinette gave him a wave goodbye. She knew that he was still upset about the day's events, and she couldn't blame him. She was even a bit angry at herself for risking her child's life, but what choice did she have? Chat needed her, and he never hesitated to help her when she was in need. Still, she could no longer just think of herself. The baby, as freakishly strong as it was, needed to be protected.

Still, she hated the idea of not being able to fight crime anymore. When she first started, all she wanted to do was quit. Since then, she had grown so much self confidence and had begun to love the thrill of the fight. Ladybug had become such a huge part of Marinette's identity. Now, she was out of commission for months. If she wasn't Ladybug anymore, who was Marinette?

 **Thank you all for your patience and continued support! I cannot promise frequent updates (as college is currently draining my soul) but I have not forgotten about this story, and I have it all outlined. Now, all I need is a long enough break to write it all out!**


	14. Chapter 14

The next day at school, Marinette was absent yet again. This time, everyone knew why. Most of the students at school had accepted Marinette's pregnancy and were extremely supportive. However, one question remained to be answered, and it was the reason that her pregnancy was always the hot topic whenever Marinette was not present. _Who_ was the father?

Adrien tried his best not to let the gossip get the best of him. He hated that his friends still frequently talked about it, but at least now their tones weren't judgmental or cruel. He decided that he couldn't blame them for wanting to know. Scandals rarely happened at their academy, and Marinette never kept secrets. In fact, he had never met a more open book. This was the girl who was never able to keep her anger from showing when Chloe mouthed off, and the one who always spoke her mind. The fact that Marinette was being so incredibly mature about her pregnancy only deepened the respect that Adrien held for her. There were so many layers to this girl that he had never imagined, and he looked forward to getting to know all of them.

There was no chance that Adrien was going to retain anything from the lecture that day. He struggled with chemistry and needed to raise his grade, but even that couldn't motivate him to pay attention. Whenever Marinette was gone at an appointment, he could not get his mind off of her. Adrien wanted nothing more than to accompany her to the doctor and get to learn more about his baby. Since the incident, he needed every reassurance that the baby was okay. Not knowing if anything was wrong made him tense, and Nino could sense it. When their lunch break started, Nino approached Adrien about it.

"Dude, what's up? You look like you're in another dimension," the other boy stated, and Adrien snapped out of his trance. He had been wondering if Marinette was listening to the baby's heartbeat, or if she was learning their baby's gender. What if she was nervous, and the baby started going berserk again? There were so many things that could be happening, so many things that could be going wrong, and he wanted to be there to support her.

"Nothing, Nino, I'm just tired," Adrien responded, but Nino was having none of it.

"Bullshit, buddy. I've seen you after four straight days of modeling and traveling, and this is nothing like that. There's something on your mind. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Adrien started. He considered keeping it all in, but he trusted Nino. Of course, he wouldn't divulge his secrets, but he needed to be heard. "I just feel kind of bad for Marinette, I guess. She has to go through all of this on her own."

"Yeah, it does really suck. I can't believe that whoever the father is just left her to handle everything on her own," Nino admitted. Adrien clenched his fist and bit his lip, but refused to let lose his temper. "But she's a strong one. I'm sure she will be able to get through this, especially now that everyone has calmed down a bit."

"Yeah, I know that she's capable of doing this on her own, but she shouldn't _have_ to! Having a child is something that grown adults still struggle with," Adrien explained, and Nino looked at him questioningly.

"What has gotten you so worked up about this, Adrien? I know you care for Marinette, but this is another level," Nino questioned. Adrien looked at his hands and let out a big sigh.

"I guess I should probably tell you, I have feelings for Marinette," Adrien admitted. Nino's eyes gew about as big as saucers.

" _Alright_ , Adrien! I honestly should have seen this one coming! She's quite a catch, that one."

Adrien looked around to make sure no one was watching the spectacle that Nino was putting on. "Shh, Nino! I don't need Marinette to be the center of more gossip, she deals with enough of that crap already."

"That's true. And I don't mean to be a downer, because I love Marinette like a sister, but do you know what you might be getting into? Unless she's thinking about adoption, Marinette and the baby are a package deal," Nino warned protectively, and Adrien almost laughed in response. He wouldn't have it any other way.

"Of course I do. She's a special girl, I'd be crazy to let her slip past."

The two boys continued enjoying their lunch break with a friendly banter, but one redhead behind them was lost in thought. When Adrien looked around. And now, that girl had some juicy information that she was sure was going to buy her friendship with Chloe for at least another month.

After school, Adrien had to sit down immediately to do his homework, as per his father's rule. It took longer than it should have, as his mind was clouded with thoughts of Marinette and the Semiraculous. Also, it did not help that Natalie was watching over his shoulder like a hawk, pointing out any mistakes that she noticed. Two painstakingly slow hours later, Adrien was finished and released from Natalie's intense gaze. He raced up to his room and jumped onto his bed, burying his face in the soft feather pillow. Plagg flew out of Adrien's pocket and raided the room for a snack before joining the blond boy on the bed.

"You need to stop looking so down, kid. Your distress is rubbing off on me," the kwaami said. Adrien lifted his head off the pillow to reply.

"I can't help it. There's just so much pressure right now. Before, being Chat Noir was my escape, a time when I could be free of my shackles and let off some steam. Now, it feels like I'm just going from one prison to another. How do I know who is worthy of the Semiraculous? What if I make the wrong choice? HawkMoth could finally win if I screw this up."

"I know you'll make a good choice, Adrien. You've got great instincts. Master Fu knew what he was doing when he chose you, and he would never ask you to do something that you can't do. We all have faith in you, you just need to believe it yourself."

Adrien was a bit surprised by Plagg's kind words, as the kwaami was not known for being soft and sincere, but Plagg did make him feel better. He _could_ do this. He had to do this. Deciding to stop sulking and get to work, he got out of bed and sat at his desk. Adrien pulled a pen and paper out of the drawer and started brainstorming potential people for the Semiraculous. He didn't know many people other than his classmates, so he pulled out the roster and started down the list.

There were a few people he could easily knock out. Rose, for example, did not have the heart for fighting and would not be able to handle the pressures of fighting akumas. Chloe and Sabrina were definitely not cut out for the job, as he did not feel as though he could trust them to keep the secrets of the Semiraculous. Adrien continued on with the list, crossing out most of the names that he passed.

After a once-over, the list only had four names left on it. Alya, Alex, Kim, and Nino.

Adrien got up and poured himself a glass of water to settle his nerves and to help him think. Alex and Kim were both capable and athletic, but he did not know them as well as he would like. He trusted Alya and Nino the most out of all of his classmates, but could they handle the pressure? Alya might not be the smartest choice, as she was constantly obsessing over her LadyBlog and the two heroes. Would she be able to resist the temptation of sharing her new found secrets?

That left him with Nino. Nino was his closest friend, his confidant, and the person who was always there for him. But was the boy hero material? Adrien ran through the entire list again to make sure that he hadn't missed anyone who might be a better choice. When he got to Marinette's name, Adrien stopped. If he had not known that Marinette was Ladybug, would she have made the cut? Or would he have crossed out her name as well? Sure, Marinette was kind-hearted and a strong leader, but she was also clumsy and shy. But she turned out to be a graceful and selfless hero. Hell, Adrien wasn't even sure that he would have chosen his own name out of the list! It wasn't about who was the strongest, the fastest, or the smartest. Both Adrien and Marinette had their doubts about becoming heroes, but it had turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to them. Nino definitely had the selfless heart of a hero, and the rest would come easily.

That realization was enough for Adrien to confirm that Nino was the right choice. If he had to fight akumas without Ladybug's help, Nino was definitely the next best option. With that decision in mind, he had Plagg transform him and he leapt out onto the streets of Paris, bound for his best friend's house.

When he reached Nino's window, he saw the boy on a computer remixing a popular party song. Nino had his headphones on, so it took Chat Noir a few minutes to finally get the other boy's attention. At the sight of one of Paris' own superheroes at his own window, Nino's eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped. Quickly, he got up and opened the window for the masked hero.

"Hello, Nino," Chat Noir began, intending to continue before Nino hastily interrupted him.

"Chat Noir, what are you doing here? How do you know my name?" Nino's brows were furrowed and he stood an awkwardly far distance away from Chat.

"I know that you're going to have a lot of questions, and I will answer as many as I can. But before you ask anything, will you let me explain everything?" Chat Noir inquired, and his friend nodded in reply.

"Ladybug and I… we need help. She is out of commission for a while and unable to fight. As you probably know, the akumas are getting stronger, and Paris is in more danger than ever. And while I can't explain why you were chosen, I need you to believe me when I say that you are the best choice. Paris needs you, Nino. We need you to help us fight."

"Is Ladybug okay? Did she die?" Nino blurted out with a panicked tone. He suddenly remembered his promise to keep quiet and cringed, but Chat Noir did not seem agitated.

"She is all right, but… circumstances have made it unsafe for her to fight for a little while. I need a partner for now, someone to help me bide time until she can rejoin me."

Nino ran a hand through his dark hair and let out a nervous chuckle. "I can't imagine why you are asking me, dude. I've been akumatized before, and I couldn't do anything to prevent or fight it. How am I supposed to help _you_?"

Chat Noir pulled out the box that held the Semiraculous. "In here, there is something that can enhance your fighting abilities; your reflexes, your strength, and your agility will all be supplemented, so you don't have to worry about not having experience. Before I can hand this to you, I need you to agree to help and swear to keep it a secret from everyone else." Adrien looked into Nino's eyes. The other boy stared right back as if he was deciding if this was all some big joke. When Chat Noir's gaze refused to falter, Nino made his choice.

"You can count on me. I'm in."

 **Thanks for my readers for sticking with this story! It might not be the most beautifully written story there is, but I hope you all enjoy it :)**


	15. Chapter 15

Chat Noir and Nino stood in Adrien's fencing school after hours, practicing their sparring. Chat Noir threw a punch towards the left side of Nino's face, but the boy deflected and grabbed Chat's arm with both hands. Twisting it, he was able to kick Chat's knee, which caused him to fall and effectively knocked the wind out of the blond's lungs. Chat had never been prouder. He got up and faced his friend.

"Great job, Nino. You've been doing amazing work since you've started training," Chat Noir admitted, giving his friend a clap on the shoulder. It was true. Fighting technique came naturally to Nino, and he was picking it up much faster than Chat Noir did when he first started fighting. They had yet to start using the Semiraculous. Chat was worried about throwing Nino into a fight before the boy was ready and risking Nino's safety. Instead, Chat had been running through drills and exercise circuits with the other boy.

"Thanks, Chat," Nino answered proudly, grinning from ear to ear. He had been training with Chat Noir for a few weeks now, learning the ins and outs of being a masked hero. Nino and Chat Noir worked on a lot of different fighting styles and techniques, but the majority of the time they spent getting to learn how to help each other. Nino found it strange just how easily he and Chat Noir understood each other. Someone else would easily mistake them for being lifelong friends.

The training itself had done wonders for Nino. He became more confident in himself and his abilities, and it was showing in his social life as well. His relationship with Alya was blossoming; he no longer felt so self-conscious and shy about being intimate with her. (It didn't hurt that Alya was a huge fan of his improved muscles.) Nino felt guilty about keeping this secret from Alya and Adrien, but he was not going to break the oath he made to Chat Noir. He had been loving his life ever since the mysterious hero had shown up to his house, and it made him sad to think that this was only a temporary thing. Maybe, if he did well enough, he would prove himself useful and Chat Noir would ask him to stay around and he could help Ladybug and Chat fight crime even after she returned.

"Alright, let's pack it up for today," Chat suggested, rubbing his shoulder where it hit the ground.

"So," Nino began. "When can I start helping you fight? With the Semiraculous?"

"I can't let you out on the streets until you're comfortable with the extra boosts," Chat admitted. "But I think that you're ready to start wielding the Semiraculous. We will use it the next time we train." Chat Noir started to put the mats and gear away, but Nino hesitated.

"Maybe we could start today," Nino stated. "What if there is an akuma attack tonight that you need help with? I don't want us to be caught off guard."

Chat stopped and turned to Nino with a small smile. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I have somewhere to be. There better not be an akuma attack tonight, because I have someone special I need to spend time with." This caught Nino's attention.

"Chat Noir, do you have a date?" he teased.

"Maybe," Chat winked.

Marinette had been sitting in her room for a while, attempting to catch up on homework. If she ever wanted to go to university, she was going to need to learn how to focus. But how was she supposed to focus now, when she had such big news to share? Earlier that day, she had gone back to the doctors for her 20th week checkup. Everything was going great according to her doctor, which was a relief to Marinette. With this baby's supernatural tendencies, Marinette was never sure whether or not it could be perceived as "normal". She had also improved on keeping her emotions in check, so there had been a lot less power outages in her home and at school. Chloe still managed to get under her skin, but Marinette refused to let it overwhelm her anymore. Plus, everyone at school had her back. Even Adrien, which still managed to shock Marinette. He sat next to her at lunch every day, accompanied her to every class, and always somehow managed to know what she wanted before she even asked. She was unsure what she did to deserve this special attention from her crush, but she wasn't complaining.

Even her pregnancy had been going easier. Being out of the first trimester was an absolute blessing. She no longer had insane morning sickness, and it felt as though her body was getting used to this strange baby inside of her. Her routine was almost back to normal, and she was starting to pull her grades back up.

The only thing that was worrying Marinette was Chat Noir. She hadn't seen her partner in weeks, and it hurt her a little bit. She was carrying this guy's child, for Christ's sake, and he couldn't even manage to stop by once in a while? After the incident with Master Fu and learning about the Semiraculous, Chat Noir hadn't even reached out to her. Maybe it was her pregnant brain being irrational, but she was always upset when another night passed and she hadn't gotten a visit. Granted, Chat Noir was a busy cat. At least once a week, an akuma would attack and threaten the safety of Paris. Chat Noir fought each one solo, much to Marinette's surprise. She assumed he had found someone to wield the Semiraculous, so why weren't they helping him? It killed Marinette to watch Chat Noir fighting by himself on the news. Every punch, kick, or blow that she watched him take felt like a stab in her heart. Forcing herself to sit back and do nothing felt like the hardest thing she had ever done.

Today, she was finally going to see him again. She found a note on her balcony the night before, written in Chat's handwriting.

 _ **My Lady, I have some important news for you. See you at 7, be ready to be swept off your feet ~Chat**_

Marinette couldn't help but smile when she read the note. His arrogant confidence had come across clearly, even if only in writing. For the whole day, she had been daydreaming. The doctor's appointment had snapped her back to reality, just as they always did. Every time she saw the ultrasounds or listened to the heartbeat, it all just felt so _real_.

This appointment had been extra special. As it was nearing the end, the doctor asked Marinette if she wished to learn the gender of the baby. Marinette had nodded eagerly, and Sabine looked just as excited. Now that she knew the baby's gender, it was no longer just an "it". Knowing this fact made Marinette feel a strange surge of emotions towards the baby. For the first time since becoming pregnant, the idea of giving the baby to Master Fu to raise made her sad. Still, she was certain that it was the right choice. She was only eighteen, and she wanted to go to university and have a career before she had a family of her own. But how would Chat feel about her decision? She chose not to discuss it with Chat that night. She wanted their little reunion to be happy, and they'd have plenty of time to talk about the details later.

Chat arrived five minutes early, dressed in his normal black masked attire. Marinette had opted for a soft pink dress that reached her mid-thigh and a pair of white ballet flats. As she was halfway through her pregnancy, her stomach was beginning to show. Chat gave her a once-over then flashed his trademark smile.

"You look stunning, My Lady," Chat told her, planting a kiss on her cheek. Marinette blushed a little bit at the compliment and took a small step back.

"You told me that you have some news," Marinette reminded him. "Is everything alright?" Chat closed the space between them again and held her hands.

"Everything is going great. I found someone worthy of the Semiraculous, and he'll be ready to fight soon. He has been doing great in practice."

Marinette gave a small smile in reply, catching the fact that Chat had said that the new hero was a "he". While Marinette trusted Chat to choose his own partner, she had been a little nervous that it would be another female. Marinette would never admit to being jealous, but she couldn't deny the small wave of relief that passed over her.

"That's wonderful, Chat. Who did you find?" Marinette inquired.

"You'll be interested to learn that it is one of your friends, Nino," Chat explained. He had considered keeping Nino's identity a secret, but Marinette was his partner. Keeping his own identity a secret felt unfair enough.

"Nino? How on earth did you decide on him? Did you know him from somewhere?" Marinette's question was innocent enough, but Chat felt that it might give too much away to admit that he and Nino were friends.

"I figured that I couldn't go wrong choosing one of your friends. If they're even a fraction of the hero you are, Paris is going to be fine," Chat flirted, evading the question.

' _Chat is really laying it on thick,'_ Marinette thought. Even though she was aware of it, she couldn't stop the blush from invading her cheeks. He had always been flirty with her, but it felt much more intense this time. He lifted one of her hands to his head and gave it a kiss.

"I figured that I would treat you to some dinner tonight, m'lady. Are you in the mood for Italian?" Chat inquired, and Marinette nodded. Not wanting to risk any injuries, they decided to walk like normal civilians instead of flying over the streets. It wasn't as exciting, but Chat's heart was still racing from just being next to Marinette. He still had to wear a mask, but he had tried to disguise his recognizable leather outfit with a jacket and some jeans.

"What have you been up to these last few weeks?" Marinette asked to make conversation.

"Mostly training with Nino," Chat answered. "That, and the akumas. I've missed fighting alongside of you, Princess."

"I've missed it too. At least you'll be getting some help soon," she offered. The conversation lulled for a bit after that. Marinette was slightly hurt that Chat didn't ask what she had been up to. Maybe he figured it was just the same old stuff.

Of course, Chat knew everything that had happened to her. He had been by her side as Adrien every day, keeping up with the latest baby details and helping the girl out when he could. However, he was finally on a date with Marinette, and she was so damn intoxicating. It didn't cross his mind to ask about the information that Chat couldn't possibly have known.

They arrived at the restaurant, and Chat held the door for Marinette like a true gentleman. Marinette was shocked when her eyes scanned the room; there were no other customers there!

"Why on earth is it empty?" Marinette asked the man at the host's podium, who gave her a warm smile.

"I believe that young man of yours rented out the entire restaurant for the evening."

"Chat? How did you manage that?"

Chat Noir smirked back at her. "It's amazing what a little bit of money and fame can get you."

Marinette rolled her eyes at him, but the smile stayed on her face. It was a gesture she had not been expecting, but she appreciated it greatly. Now they would not have to worry about being recognized or having the public wonder why Chat was dining with a pregnant girl.

The host led them back to the only table that set. It had been adorned with candles, and the window offered a view of the beautiful lights of Paris. Everything about the scene added to the aura of romance, and the effects were not lost on the young pair.

"Chat… this is incredible. Thank you," Marinette expressed. The blond reached across the table to hold Marinette's hand, rubbing his thumb across it absentmindedly.

"I hope you know that I would do anything for you, Marinette. I know this whole situation is insane, and that having a baby at such a young age wasn't on either of our agendas. But I will admit that I feel lucky, there's no one I would rather go through this with than you."

"I feel the same way," Marinette began. Sure, being pregnant at eighteen was no walk in the park, but there was no one she trusted more than Chat. It had started out as a mission, something that they had to do to save Paris. Yet, she couldn't ignore the butterflies that she had been feeling in her stomach all night. Was she developing feelings for Chat? No, this was just her pregnancy brain talking. While she trusted and cared for Chat, she still had no idea who he really was. Trying to be in a relationship with a masked hero was nothing more than a pipe dream.

Realizing that Chat had romantic intentions, Marinette tried her best to steer the conversation away from her feelings.

"Do you think they serve watermelon here? I've been craving it all the time," Marinette admitted. A look of confusion passed over Chat's face, but he addressed the new topic anyway.

"I'm sure we could arrange something."

The conversation lulled a bit, so Marinette took it upon herself to keep it platonic. She first asked about Nino. After Chat answered, she asked about the akumas that he had fought. Then his health. Anything to keep the topic off of the feelings that Marinette was afraid of.

Finally, just as she was running out of small talk, she remembered that she had some news.

"I learned something today," she began. Chat raised an eyebrow.

"Is it about the baby?"

"Yes. I learned the gender. It's going to be a boy!" Marinette laughed, and Chat's smile grew tenfold. He leapt out of his chair and raced around to hug Marinette.

"We're having a boy!" Chat exclaimed, squeezing the girl gently. He put his hand on her small bump, trying to see if he could feel a reaction from his son. Marinette let out a small laugh.

"It will still be a few more weeks before he's strong enough to be felt, but I've started feeling some flutters."

Chat looked at the bump, then into Marinette's deep blue eyes. He had told Marinette that this whole situation was unfortunate, but that was to make her feel less awkward. Truthfully, he felt the opposite. His whole childhood had been lonely and unhappy, but now he had a little family of his own, and he was going to do his best to make sure that nothing bad ever happened to his girl or his son.

 **Thanks for the read!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Warning: There is use of strong language and bullying in this chapter**

"No one knows where the famous superhero, Ladybug, has gone. Our sources tell us that no one has spotted her since their battle with the Actorator, where she appeared to have been wounded. Is Ladybug injured? Is she in hiding? Did Paris's favorite superhero retire, or could something more sinister have happened?" Paris's daily newscaster announced through the television screen in Marinette's room.

Marinette sat at her sewing machine while Alya laid on the couch. Alya's eyes were glued to the screen, but Marinette tried her best to ignore it. She considered asking Alya to turn it off, but she didn't want her friend to be suspicious. The two had been routinely hanging out after school, as Marinette didn't have to fight akumas and Nino was too busy to spend a lot of time with Alya. The brunette lifted her head off the couch to face her friend.

"Do you think he's not into me anymore? Is he trying to distance himself?"

Marinette took her foot off the sewing pedal and turned to face Alya. "Of course not. The guy is crazy about you!"

"But we always spent time together after school. That was our thing. I would tell him about my latest blog posts and he would share his most recent remixes. Then, if we had time, we would get into other things…"

"Stop, stop it!" Marinette giggled, playfully putting her hands over her ears. She was thrilled that her friends were happy together, but she didn't need to know _all_ the details. "Maybe he's picking up a new hobby. Or helping his parents out with his siblings."

"You're probably right," Alya huffed. "But that doesn't change the fact that I miss him."

"Well have you told him that you miss him? I'd bet he doesn't have any idea that he's making you upset."

"No, but I should probably talk to him. It's not just him, though. My blog is starting to fail. I've lost a ton of followers this month."

"What? Why?" Marinette asked, even though she knew the answer.

"People always came to my blog to find out the latest news about Ladybug. I was always one of the first on the scene, and I managed to get tons of insider info. Now, no one knows where Ladybug is. I have no freaking idea either. If I can't post updates, then my blog is useless!"

Marinette couldn't help but feel guilty. The LadyBlog was Alya's pride and joy, and it was Marinette's fault that it was failing. She wanted more than anything to give Alya the details, but that would put her entire mission in jeopardy. Instead, she continued making the blue onesie that was almost completed.

She was finishing up the last seam when the news was interrupted by flashing lights and the "Breaking News" symbol. Both girls stopped and stared as a new newscaster started to speak.

"Another akumatized civilian has begun to attack Paris. It appears as if the Captain of Paris' rugby team has been akumatized after their recent loss and is hunting for members of the London team they just faced. Chat Noir has already appeared on the scene, and no Ladybug has been spotted, but it appears as though a new hero has arrived on the scene! Let's take a closer look," the woman announced. Alya bounced off of the sofa and planted herself right in front of the screen. Marinette replaced Alya on the sofa and tried to look around her friend's head to watch the action.

Sure enough, there was a figure fighting next to Chat Noir wearing the Semiraculous cuffs that had been given to Chat by Master Fu. The new fighter had a dark blue suit and a generic mask. If Marinette had not known already that the fighter was Nino, she would never have been able to tell. She was a bit worried that Alya might recognize her boyfriend, but the girl didn't seem to catch on.

The pair watched as Chat Noir fought effortlessly with his new partner. The two worked together seamlessly, like they had been fighting together for years. Yet again, Marinette felt jealous. It took her and Chat Noir quite some time to find their groove, but it only took Nino a couple of weeks. What if he was better than her? Would Chat want Nino to replace Ladybug permanently?

"Who _is_ that guy?" Alya marveled. Her eyes were wide and she could not stop staring at the hero in blue.

"I dunno," Marinette shrugged.

"I have to go out there! I have to capture this! This is going to save my blog!"

"You can't go out there! It's too dangerous!"

"Yeah, and when has that ever stopped me?" Alya was racing to put on her shoes, but Marinette grabbed the girl by the wrists. Yes, it was dangerous, but that wasn't the biggest issue. How would Nino react if he saw the girl he loved in danger? Would he abandon the fight to get Alya to safety? Or worse, would he blow his cover? Marinette knew it was hard to resist saving the ones that she loved; heaven knows she went out of her way to save Adrien whenever she could. If she couldn't help Chat Noir by fighting, she could help him by keeping Nino focused.

"If you're going out there, then I'm going too," Marinette bluffed. Alya took the bait.

"Mari, no. You cannot do anything to risk the life of that baby!"

"And you shouldn't do anything to risk your own life!" Marinette countered.

"This is my choice. I need to save my blog!"

"You are more important than your blog! I need you, Alya. I can't go through this alone," Marinette begged. Alya took a look at the door, then back into the blue-haired girl's eyes.

"Alright," she answered. "I'll stay."

Chat Noir and Nino's fight had been extremely successful. The next day at school, no one could talk about anything else.

"That guy had some moves," Kim admitted at the lunch table.

"Oh, he definitely has some training. I wonder where he came from," Alex pondered.

"I don't know, but this new guy is going to save my blog!" Alya squealed. She had gone to the scene of the fight after it was over and got some interviews with the eyewitnesses. Her newest post had gotten more attention that her last ten posts combined.

"He seemed different than Ladybug and Chat Noir," Kim mentioned. "This guy didn't seem to have a theme, and he didn't use any special powers"

"Maybe he was just holding back," Alya suggested. "Trying to keep his cards hidden so that HawkMoth doesn't know what he can do."

Marinette picked at her salad and listened as her friends gushed over Nino. She looked over at him briefly to gauge his reactions. He had been uncharacteristically quiet, but it appeared as though he was hanging on to every word.

' _He deserves the praise,'_ Marinette thought. It was true. For his first fight, Nino kicked some serious ass. It was time to stop pitying herself and be grateful that Chat Noir didn't have to fight alone. She took a deep, satisfying breath and cleared her mind of the pessimism.

She was still in her own little world when Adrien, who had been sitting next to her, tapped her on the shoulder. Marinette snapped out of her trance and looked into his enchantingly green eyes.

"Would you like any watermelon?" Adrien offered. Marinette stared at him, confused. How did he know she had been craving it?

"My chef packed some extra today, and 'm already full," he continued. Oh. So it was just a coincidence.

"Sure," Marinette smiled, taking a bite out of the delicious fruit. She could not get enough of that stuff.

Soon after she finished eating, it was time to get back to class. She had history next, a class that she didn't have with Adrien. Regardless, he still carried her bag to the class and gave her an adorable wave goodbye. Marinette had only been sitting for two minutes before the school's safety alarm went off.

' _Another akuma?'_ Marinette thought to herself. ' _HawkMoth must have been pissed that Chat Noir had a new partner… he's angry.'_ Would this fight be more dangerous? Would Nino be able to handle it?

Marinette watched as the boy in question slid out of his chair discreetly. He had chosen a seat in the back that day, so Marinette was the only one who noticed him leave.

Meanwhile, Chloe couldn't stop staring daggers at Marinette. She almost couldn't believe it when Sabrina told her what Adrien had said. How could Adrien, a sensible guy with big plans, fall for that girl? Didn't he know that dating Marinette would ultimately lead to changing diapers? There was no way he could want to help take care of a baby when he should be having fun.

She should have seen this coming. Adrien had been all over Marinette for months, acting like a stand-in boyfriend for the pregnant girl. Couldn't he see that Marinette was using him?

After making sure that the teacher hadn't arrived yet, Chloe got up and walked over to Marinette with an evil smirk on her face.

"You know, _Marinette_ ," the blonde started with a mocking tone. "It's one thing to be pregnant. It's another thing to use your situation to manipulate others." Chloe took a seat on Marinette's desk and popped her chewing gum.

"What do you mean, Chloe?"

"Ha! Pretending like you don't know. That's childish, Marinette."

Marinette's blood was starting to boil, but she did her best to subdue her frustration. She couldn't let the baby go haywire.

"You've got poor Adrien feeling bad for you, and now he feels obligated to be nice to you. You're taking advantage of his generosity! You were dumb enough to get pregnant in the first place, but now you've gotten him to pity you because your baby daddy walked away. You're pathetic," Chloe spat.

"Adrien is my friend!" Marinette argued, not wanting to listen to Chloe's poison.

"Oh, really?" Chloe laughed. "Then why did he only start paying so much attention to you after you got pregnant? Did you whore yourself out to the first guy who would fuck you just to have a pity card to play?"

"That's enough," Alex said, and she got up from her seat to push Chloe off of Marinette's desk. "Get a life, Chloe."

Marinette was grateful that her friend had stepped in, but the blonde had planted some seeds of doubt in Marinette's mind. It was true that Adrien only started giving her this attention after she got pregnant. He had been extremely helpful and generous, but what if Chloe was right? Had Marinette been taking advantage of him?

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that it was probably true. She had been so desperate for attention from him that she never stopped to wonder why she was getting it. But no more. Adrien had enough going on at home, so he shouldn't have to worry about taking care of Marinette. Besides, between her mom, Alya, and Chat she had plenty of support.

Even though she had made up her mind, she was still a little disappointed. When Adrien had started paying attention to her, it had felt like it was real. A small part of her had hoped that it would turn into something more. After the whole baby business with Chat Noir was over, maybe the two of them could have pursued a relationship. Now, the chances of that happening were slim.

Out of the corner of her eye, Marinette watched a light flicker. Then, the ceiling light started to blink as well. Instead of waiting for all of the electricity to go out, Marinette decided that she would just skip class. She grabbed her bag and left to go collect her thoughts where the baby couldn't destroy anything.

 **Thanks for sticking with the story! I enjoy writing it and I love hearing from you guys :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: This story is told in an Alternate Universe because I have done a terrible job keeping up with the actual universe. If something in this story doesn't make sense with the show, that is why. I apologize for the Adrien fans, because a certain blue-haired musician is about to make an appearance. Enjoy :)**

Marinette enjoyed the solitude of the small, shaded park during the day. All of the children were in school, so the space was hers alone. She watched as the wind picked up leaves from the ground and deposited them on the path. Those leaves, which had once played a crucial role in the life of a tree, now sat useless on the ground, waiting for someone to step on them. But that was just how life went.

Marinette was so in her own head that she didn't notice the figure sit down next to her on the bench. She didn't pay attention as the figure stared at her, and was only broken out of her trance when a familiar voice pierced the silence.

"Marinette, are you okay?"

Marinette snapped out of her thoughts and looked into the eyes of her former crush. "Luka? Is that you?"

"I sure hope so," Luka grinned, giving her a playful squeeze on the shoulder. Even though she hadn't seen the musician in almost two years, his touch still sent a bolt of lightning through her body.

"What are you doing here?"

"I like to take a walk sometimes to give me some inspiration. And I think I just found it."

Marinette blushed and looked away at Luka's flirty words. How could emotions from so long ago still affect her this way? Luka, who was two years her senior, had already graduated and gone on to pursue his music as a career. He certainly wasn't world famous, but he was well-respected within the Indie community. His work was far better than what they used to play as a band on his mother's boat.

"I can't believe it's you," Marinette admitted. "I thought you were living in London."

"I was. Then it was Vienna. Next it was Berlin. Everywhere has its own charm, it's own musical vibe. But I can't deny that Paris has always been my favorite. So I came back, and I'm glad I did, since I got to run into you."

"Luka, that's very sweet of you to say. I've definitely missed you, so much has happened since you left," said Marinette. Luka's eyes shifted down to her stomach.

"I would have to agree with you on that. Do you want to talk about it?" Luka offered.

"It's… _really_ complicated. But it is what it is, I guess." Marinette shrugged.

"Are you involved with the father?"

"Yes… no… I mean, in a way. But we aren't dating, if that's what you were wondering."

"Did he leave you?" Luka questioned, his eyes filled with concern.

"No, God no, he didn't leave. We just can't be together, like that. He is still very involved, but he wants his identity to remain a secret," Marinette offered. Luka shook his head.

"That's no excuse, Marinette, and that isn't fair to you. It's not as if you could also hide your identity here. You deserve to be treated better."

Luka's words struck a nerve within Marinette. He was right, this was unfair. Chat got to continue being a hero and keep his civilian identity at the same time. Marinette was forced to stop being Ladybug in addition to the fact that she has had to deal with ridicule and bullying. Wouldn't it only be fair for Chat to reveal his identity and take responsibility as the father? To be her partner in this madness?

"It is a pretty shitty situation," she admitted. Luke took a gentle hold of her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his own.

"Do you love him?"

Woah. Marinette was caught off guard by his question. Did she love Chat Noir? Sure, she loved him as a friend, and as a partner. But did she feel any romantic love for him? She thought about Adrien, and how she would sometimes still stammer when she was in his presence. She used to imagine walking down the streets of Paris with Adrien, hand-in-hand, as if there was nothing more important in the world than being with him. Now, after her confrontation with Chloe, thinking about him made her miserable. But she didn't feel those kind of emotions for Chat.

"Marinette? Do you love him?" Luka pressed, bringing Marinette back to reality. She had her answer.

"Yes, but not in the way that I should," Marinette confessed. Luka shook his head.

"You don't owe him anything, especially love," he told her. "Even if that is his baby. A baby is not going to magically create those feelings between you two."

"You're right."

"I like to think that I can give some good advice," Luka remarked.

"You always have been. Ever since I first met you on your boat, you've always known how I was feeling and helped me collect my thoughts," Marinette said as a small blush appeared on her cheeks.

"I was just trying to impress you, Marinette."

"Really? Even back then?"

Luka shrugged. "I could tell that you were a special girl."

"Wow, I'm flattered," Marinette said shyly.

"I still feel that way, you know?" Luka stated. He looked to Marinette to gauge her reaction, and was amused to find her in a shocked state.

"What? You left without saying a word!" Marinette argued.

"I thought that you were into that model, Agreste, and I didn't want to get in the way of your feelings. But I haven't been able to get you out of my head ever since."

"Luka… I… I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. But I want you to know that I'm here for you, just like I've always been."

"That's so sweet of you," said Marinette. "And I have to admit, I still have some feelings for you, as well. I thought that I had gotten over you, but now I'm not so sure."

Luka's eyes widened and a small smile graced his face. Marinette had no idea why she had just confessed her feelings for Luka, especially during a time like this! But what was the harm? It wasn't like she was legally bound to Chat Noir, even if he was trying to make romantic advances on her. If she didn't love him, she shouldn't be forced to be with him. And it was nice to know that someone cared for her even before the pregnancy, unlike Adrien. Marinette could see it now; once she passed the baby off to Master Fu, she and Luka could have a chance at a nice, normal relationship.

' _Shit, I still have to talk to Chat Noir about the whole adoption thing,'_ Marinette swore internally. She had been dreading the conversation ever since she came up with the plan, but he needed to know her feelings before it became too late.

"I don't mean to be rude, Luka, but there is something that I need to do before I commit to anything," Marinette began. "I don't mean to lead you on, and I definitely don't expect you to wait for me, but I have to clear something before I can be with you."

"I'll still be here, Marinette, I'll always wait for you. You're worth it," Luka replied. Marinette's heart melted, but she still dreaded the conversation ahead of her. After a brief goodbye, she was off to wait for Chat.

* * *

The masked hero usually went on patrol after school. Nothing typically happened in the mid-afternoon, but he would use any excuse he could to get out of his house. When he saw his lady standing at her balcony, he leapt over a few rooftops to get to her.

"Good afternoon, m'lady," he said, donning the charming smile he wore so often in her presence.

"Can we talk, Chat?" Marinette asked, chewing the pad of her thumb nervously. Chat could tell that something was off, and he was wary of the tone in her voice.

"Of course, Mari. You can tell me anything."

"What's going to happen after the baby is born?"

Chat Noir took a seat on the ledge before answering the question. "Well, we use our son's powers to defeat HawkMoth, how ever that is going to work," he stated.

"I mean even after that," Marinette clarified. "What is going to happen after we defeat HawkMoth?" Her words caused Chat to pause. Of course, in his head, he had it all planned out. He would use his money from modeling to buy the three of them a place in the city, then they would live happily in the akuma-free world. However, he realized that he had never discussed this plan with Marinette before.

"Because I want to pursue fashion," Marinette stated. "I want to go to university, learn about fashion, and make my name known."

"Then that's what you should do!" Chat encouraged. "Why do you make it sound like that's a problem?"

"It's a problem because… I don't want to do that while having to take care of a baby, Chat."

"What are you talking about? You want to hire a nanny?" Chat questioned.

"No, Chat, I don't want to be responsible for a baby at all right now. We're so young, and I'm sure you have dreams that you want to pursue as well."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. This is _our son_ , Marinette. Yeah, it sucks that we're young, and sure, we don't know anything about raising a baby, but he is our responsibility!" Chat couldn't help the anger that laced his voice. It startled Marinette, but she didn't want to back down.

"And how do you plan on raising this baby? I don't know about you, but I'm not financially stable right now. Who is going to pay for all of the diapers, the doctors, and all of the tools? I don't want to burden my parents with the costs, either."

"I've got the money covered. I have enough for the three of us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives!" Chat countered.

"Wait, _the three of us?_ You think we're going to live together?" Marinette cried.

"Of course! That's what is best for him!"

"Then are you going to reveal your identity to me right now?" Marinette took a step closer to Chat, who looked at her as though she was crazy.

"You know I can't do that!" Chat yelled.

"Then how am I supposed to trust you when you say that everything will be fine! I don't even know you!" Her fists balled with rage as she tried her best to keep the baby in check.

"Are you saying that after all we've been through, you don't trust me?"

"I do trust you, a lot, but you're asking a lot of me! I'm not ready to be a parent!"

"Then what's your plan, huh? You gonna give this all-powerful baby away to a stranger?" Chat mocked, venom dripping from his words. "Because that isn't going to go over very well. Do you want to put more people in danger?" He stood up from the ledge and met her challenging stance.

"Of course not!" Marinette cried. She took a step back, not appreciating how Chat's larger form towered over her. "But Master Fu would know how to take care of it."

"Would you stop calling our son an ' _it_ '? You're trying to detach your emotions from our baby by not acknowledging him, and I won't stand for it. And we cannot give the baby to Master Fu."

"You're unbelievable," Marinette muttered. "This would be the best solution for 'our son'! We would still be able to be in his life, but he would be cared for by someone who actually knows what he's doing! Then, we could pursue our separate lives. I wouldn't even need to know your true identity. Besides, we're not even mature enough to have a civil conversation about this. We're just going to realize further down the line that this isn't going to work. And then our son will get caught in the middle."

Chat Noir realized that he was fighting a losing battle, and it broke his heart. All of his dreams of being a family with Marinette and their son were crumbling, and it was more than he could handle. Everything inside him was screaming to stay, to figure all of this out. But he was going to cry, and his pride wouldn't let him show that weakness. Instead, he jumped off of the roof and into the streets of Paris and back towards his home.

 **Wow, that was really tough to write! How are they going to work through this one? Stay tuned! Thanks for the read, and thank you to those who leave a review! You guys make my day :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Warning: Strong language and bullying**

Marinette had no one she could talk to about her fight with Chat. If she explained anything to her parents or Alya, they would know she was still in contact with the father and would ask for details she couldn't give. She couldn't get advice from Adrien, because she was no longer going to let herself use him as a crutch for emotional support. She obviously couldn't talk to Chat, and she doubted that he would come by her balcony anytime soon.

Then, Marinette remembered her conversation with Luka. He hadn't pressured her to divulge any secrets, and he seemed to give very level-headed advice. Maybe he would be able to help her make amends with Chat. Marinette pulled out her phone, which luckily hadn't been fried from the recent events, and called a number that she hadn't used since she was sixteen. After the first ring, Luka's smooth voice answered the call.

"Hello? Is everything okay, Marinette?"

"Not really. I don't mean to bother you, but would you be able to talk for a bit? I could use more advice," Marinette inquired.

"You'd never be a bother," Luka replied. "Let's meet back at the park in ten minutes, I'd rather talk in person."

After thanking the boy, Marinette pulled her ballet flats back on and grabbed her bag. She took one last glance at the balcony and sighed. Had she been too hard on Chat? She had never seen him so upset. However, Marinette couldn't imagine that confrontation going any other way. They both wanted completely different things. Marinette wanted her life to return back to normal, and Chat wanted to embrace the change. How were they going to meet in the middle?

By the time that Marinette was done with her thought process, she was almost late to meet Luka. In an attempt not to be rude, she raced out the door and down the street. Unsurprisingly, Luka was already sitting on the bench that they had sat at earlier.

"Deja vu, huh?" Luka joked, cracking a smile. Marinette wanted to return the gesture, but she couldn't bring herself to smile back.

"Thank you for meeting me again," Marinette expressed. "I had to have a chat with the father, and it didn't go well at all."

"What went wrong?" Luka asked. He put an arm around the girl, both for her comfort and for his.

"We have… conflicting interests when it comes to what to do after the baby arrives. I want to look into adoption and he wants to raise the kid." Marinette almost froze when Luka's arm touched her shoulders. She wasn't sure if it was a romantic gesture or not.

"Well, if he's so intent on raising the child, why not let him do it?" It was a fair question to ask, but Luka didn't know the abnormal circumstances surrounding the father in question.

"I would, but I honestly don't know much about the real him," Marinette admitted, hoping that it wouldn't make Luka suspicious. "I don't know if he's fit to be a parent. The person I planned to give the baby to would have much more knowledge on the subject." She hated admitting that she didn't trust Chat Noir to parent, because she trusted him with her life. But she could not in her right mind give her baby to Chat if she had no clue who he was behind the mask.

"Anyone can learn to be a parent, Marinette. The most important thing is that they want to be one. It sure sounds like this guy does."

"That is true," Marinette agreed. Chat was so passionate when he talked about his son, and she had no doubts that the baby would be loved. "I bet that you're right. I need to talk to him again. I have to apologize." Marinette was thankful to finally have an answer, and she planned on finding Chat Noir as fast as possible to resolve their fight.

Before she could get up to leave, Luka grabbed her wrist.

"Wait, Marinette. There's something I want to ask you," Luka began. Marinette stopped herself and looked back at the handsome musician.

"I heard from Juleka that you've been getting a lot of ridicule for not having the father help out. Is that true?"

Marinette felt sheepish and looked at the ground. "I guess so, yes. The father isn't exactly able to help out very often."

"Well, if you want, I could be your scapegoat. You can tell people that I'm the father, and that I haven't been around because of my music. But I'm willing to help you out as much as you need. I can go with you to the doctor, I can run errands, and I can be here to listen," Luka offered earnestly. Marinette was stunned. Luka would do all of that for her? Even though she was carrying the child of another?

"Luka, I can't ask you to do that. This baby is not your responsibility. Besides, I have my mother and Alya to help."

"Please, Marinette, I want to help you. I care about you, and I can't stand watching you go through this alone."

Marinette wanted to say yes. Now that she didn't have Adrien, and because Alya was very preoccupied with her blog and Nino, she didn't have many people to rely on. And she knew that it would be nice to have people finally stop asking about the father of her baby…

"I'll think about it. If I decide to follow through, I'll be sure to let you know. Thank you for your offer," Marinette told him.

"I'd do anything for you, Marinette," Luka answered sincerely.

Marinette squeezed his hand and got up to go back to the bakery, and practiced her apology to Chat in head the whole way back.

* * *

Adrien couldn't believe what he just heard. He had gone on a walk dressed in his civilian form to clear his head after his big argument with Marinette. Imagine his surprise when he found her, not fifteen minutes later, talking to another guy.

This guy was no stranger to Adrien. It was Luka, Juleka's older brother. Adrien and Luka had occasionally crossed paths, but they were never more than acquaintances. He knew, however, that Marinette used to have a thing for Luka. He hadn't cared too much back then, as he only had eyes for Ladybug. Now that he knew that Ladybug and Marinette were the same girl, thinking about that blossoming relationship made his blood boil. Had Luka been the boy that Ladybug claimed to be in love with when she rejected Chat Noir?

Unable to restrain himself, Adrien hid behind a tree to eavesdrop on their conversation. He was glad that he did, because he overheard them talking about his son.

"You can tell people that I'm the father," Luka said. Chat's vision went red. There was no way in hell that anyone else besides him was going to be claiming to be that baby's father. He was going to need a plan, and fast. As much as he wanted to just reveal his identity to her, he couldn't risk jeopardizing their mission to defeat HawkMoth. Not when they were so close to the end.

He stuck around to hear Marinette's answer, praying that she would decline. When the girl did not refuse the musician's offer, Adrien scowled and headed back towards his father's mansion. He stomped and clenched his fists and felt a sudden urge to punch something. He quickly transformed into Chat Noir and prayed that he ran into a villain that he could take some anger out on.

* * *

By the time school came around the next day, Adrien had calmed down significantly. No akumas had been unleashed the night prior, but just running and leaping across Paris as Chat Noir was enough to get out his aggression. He still had not determined how he was going to prevent Luka from pretending to be the baby's father, but Adrien would figure it out one way or another.

When he arrived he tried to talk to Marinette, but as soon as she met his eyes, she started conversing with Alya. In the classroom before the teacher came he approached her again, but she excused herself to go to the bathroom. He knew she was mad at Chat, but was she now mad at Adrien too? What did he do?

Her cold shoulder continued through lunch. She sat at the edge of a table, surrounded by only Alya and Nino. Alya had dominated the conversation, mostly expressing her admiration of the new secret hero. Nino was eating it up, clearly thrilled that his girlfriend was obsessing over his super persona. Adrien had started to accept defeat before the world's most annoying blonde walked over towards his girl.

"Oh, Marinette, I almost didn't see you behind your massive stomach," the girl mocked. Marinette hadn't been extremely self conscious about her size yet, but the comment from Chloe made her look down at her food. She wasn't in the mood to fight back.

"No wonder the father didn't want to be associated with you. You're so spineless, Marinette. Who would stick around?" Chloe continued. Alya was about to throw a punch at the bully, but Marinette stood up and looked at the blonde girl in the eyes.

"You know nothing about me," Marinette said calmly. "In fact, the father is back and ready to take responsibility."

"Ha! As if! Imaginary boyfriends don't count, silly. The boy who fucked you definitely isn't gonna come back to your pathetic ass."

"Unfortunately for you, he isn't imaginary. The father is…"

"Me," Adrien stated. "I'm the father."

Everyone at the table gasped, even Marinette. Adrien shot her an "I'll explain later" look and walked over to her, putting his arm around her waist. Chloe, whose jaw was still on the floor, let out a sob.

"Adrien, you can't be serious! Tell everyone that you're fucking joking, right now!" Chloe cried. Adrien shook his head.

"It's time I stopped being a jerk and owned up to my actions. I didn't want to admit it before, because I thought it would be bad for my image. Marinette was kind enough to keep my secret for this long, but I can't just sit around and let you bully her, Chloe." Adrien declared, giving Marinette a soft smile. He noticed the screens displaying the school's announcements start to flicker, so he steered the pregnant girl away from the cafeteria and led her into a hallway. Once they were out of the crowd, she gathered the courage to speak.

"Adrien…" Marinette began as she shook her head disapprovingly. "You didn't have to do that. I had it under control."

"I wanted to help you." He gave a soft squeeze to her hand. The girl sighed.

"I know you took pity on me when I first got pregnant, and that's why you were so adamant about helping me. But it's fine, really. You don't need to take credit for this."

"What are you talking about? I don't pity you!" Adrien countered, lifting his hands up in surrender. "You're one of the strongest girls that I know."

"Then why did you only start hanging out with me once I became pregnant?"

"Because I saw a friend that needed help. You're one of my only friends, and I couldn't let you suffer alone."

"Look," Marinette expressed. "I really appreciate all of your help and what you did out there. But it isn't fair to you. You've got a reputation to uphold. Besides, the real father came back and is ready to take credit."

"I know who the real father is," Adrien admitted.

"You know about Luka?" Marinette's eyes narrowed and she gave Adrien a questioning look. She had only made the arrangement with Luka yesterday, so how did Adrien already know?

"No, Marinette, I know that Chat Noir is the father."

Marinette's eyes widened completely and she took a step back. Then, she started violently shaking her head.

"No, no, no. That's insane. How did you get that idea?" she asked, panic rising in her voice.

"Calm down, Marinette. Your secret is safe with me." He stepped closer to the girl and grabbed her wrists to keep her from running away.

"You… you're joking, right? How could Chat Noir be the father? He has on a leather suit all the time, there's no way to even…" A ceiling light above them blew out and another started to flicker.

"Marinette, look at me!" Adrien exclaimed, getting the panicked female's attention. "Chat Noir told me himself."

"How do you know Chat Noir?"

Adrien scratched the back of his head and thought of a good answer. "He, uh, has saved me many times, and he has stayed around to chat before. I guess he trusted me with the secret."

Marinette still couldn't decide if she should show her hand or not. Was Adrien being serious about knowing Chat Noir?

"Alright, I'll bite," she began. "If you know that Chat is supposedly the father, why did you pretend that it was _you_ back there?"

"Chat asked me to. He said that you needed support, and that he regrets that he can't be here for you himself. So he told me to pretend to be the father, to go with you to your appointments and anywhere else you wanted me to go."

Marinette couldn't deny that his offer was tempting. What _was_ it with guys pretending to be the father of her baby recently? First Luka, now Adrien? This was too weird to be a coincidence. Still, she owed Chat Noir an apology, and she could start by accepting the help that he sent. This must've been his olive branch to her.

The idea of Adrien accompanying Marinette to the doctor made the butterflies in her stomach do gymnastics, but at least she could stop forcing her mother to leave the bakery during work hours. Besides, this meant more time to get to know Adrien. He must have been incredibly selfless to do such a big favor for Chat Noir.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Marinette asked, and she hoped in her heart that he wouldn't refuse.

"I've never been more sure in my life."

 **We made it to 40k! Thank you to everyone who has given this story a read. I was planning on only having 20 chapters, but then I deviated away from my outline these last two chapters. Who knows where we'll end up. But we're nearing the end!**


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